Cheria's Guardian
by Sovereign64
Summary: Cheria moves back to her hometown with Asbel for the summer. There, she is reunited with her family friend Bailey. Asbel soon discovers Bailey isn't what he seems to be and he will do anything to protect his closest friend from danger. Asbel X Cheria
1. Out of Town

**Sovereign: Hey guys! Here's my first Tales of Graces story and I'm a HUGE supporter of Asbel X Cheria. I hope you all enjoy.**

_**Cheria's Guardian**_

_**Chapter 1: Out of Town**_

Asbel and Cheria both sigh blissfully as they lie together on a small hill. Summer break has arrived and they can finally have three months of rest after a whole year of school work.

The two smile as they look up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly passing by. Cheria lifts her arm up and points at one of them.

"You know what that cloud reminds me of?" Cheria asked Asbel.

Asbel squints his eyes and he lifts himself up from the ground and into a sitting position. "A humanoid lion holding a flower?"

Cheria laughs as she gets up and sits next to Asbel. "No Asbel! It looks like tree."

Asbel arches an eyebrow and tilts his head to the side. "Oh."

"You had such wild imaginations, Asbel." Cheria chuckled.

Asbel turns to Cheria and smiles at his friend. Cheria has been one of Asbel's closest friends ever since she first moved to his town six years ago. They both study in the same school and class and the two always look out and spend most of their time with each other.

"Cheria!"

Asbel and Cheria turn around and see Sophie, a friend of them, walking up the side of the hill.

"Sophie? What's up?" Cheria asked puzzled.

"It's your grandfather, Cheria." Sophie replied. Cheria widens her eyes, now fully alert.

"Is there something wrong with him?" She asked in concern.

"Just come and he will tell you everything." Sophie said. Asbel and Cheria turn to each other before they both get up from the ground and follow Sophie. The three walk back up the hill towards Cheria's house. They all lived in a small town located in an area full of grassy plains and rolling hills.

They walked up the hill, Cheria's house on the other side of it. When they reach her home, they enter through the back door. The three then slowly enter into the living room where Cheria sees her grandfather Frederic lying on a reclined chair.

"Grandpa?" Cheria asked with worried eyes. Frederic turns his head and sees his granddaughter and her friends approaching him.

"Cheria…" He uttered as he gestures her to come over. Asbel and Sophie stood and watch Cheria walking over to him. When Cheria is near Frederic, she places her hand on the arm of the chair and her grandfather places his own hand above hers. Cheria looks at her grandfather and he looks very pale. There is a cup of water and a bottle of pills placed next to him on a small table.

"G-gr-grandpa? Are you alright?" Cheria asked. Frederic gave an assuring smile.

"I'm fine Cheria. It's just that…I'm too tired and ill to take care of you lately." Frederic said to her. "So I've decided to send you back to your hometown for the rest of summer to stay with your mother…at least until I get better."

Cheria widens her eyes. "What?" She said. "You want me to go back to my hometown? And my mom?" Frederic nods his head. "But grandpa, I haven't seen and spoke to mom for six years now. What if so many things have changed between the both of us within that time?"

Cheria is right. Six years ago, after the tragic death of her father, her mother became extremely depressed since, to the point which she no longer cares about her own daughter and focus more on her work to distract herself from her family. And because she can no longer take care of her daughter, she sends Cheria out of town to live with her grandfather who lives in the other side of the state. Cheria doesn't know if her mother ever thought of her since.

"Cheria…you have to be strong. Even if things have changed, you should still at least try to know how your mother has been doing. I know that she lost your father and it's painful. She's to be pitied, not be ignored. And I know this because I lost my son that day too. So you should be at her side and try to help her go through her tough times." Frederic said.

Cheria remained silent for a moment before she nods her head. "Alright…I guess I'll pay mom a visit." She then holds up her grandfather's hand and clasps it with both hands. "But grandpa, promise me that while I'm gone, you'll get better."

Frederic nods his head. "And promise me that you'll be fine while you're in your hometown." He said to her. Cheria nods her head again.

"So you're moving back to your hometown for the summer?" Asbel spoke as he walks over to Cheria. She turns to him while pushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Yes." Cheria said to him. "And it's a shame because I thought we are going to spend the whole summer together along with Sophie and Hubert."

Asbel smiled. "Yes. That's why I'm coming with you!"

"What?" Cheria widens her eyes.

"Yup." Asbel nods his head. "I've always wonder how your hometown looks like! So this will be my chance! Also, you need someone to talk to and look out for you while you're there right?"

"I'm okay with that." Frederic said to Asbel. "You can go along with her. But are your parents and brother okay with that?"

"Don't worry. It'll be fine with them." Asbel said. "It's summer break anyway and my family is used to me going way on long vacations with my classmates. So how is Cheria going to travel to her hometown anyway?"

"By bus. It will be a three days' trip with two nights at a hotel. I've arranged a ticket for Cheria." Frederic said.

"Alright. Then I'll arranged one for myself too." Asbel said. "And don't worry Mr. Barnes, I'll make sure your granddaughter will be safe and doesn't get herself into trouble."

Frederic smiles at Asbel. "I trust you can do the task properly, Mr. Lhant."

"Asbel…" Cheria said to Asbel, shocked that he will devote the entire summer to helping her like this.

Asbel turns to Cheria and grins. "Don't worry Cheria. It's not a problem at all. I'll keep you company during your stay in your hometown. Everything will be fine."

Cheria smiles back at her friend. "Thank you Asbel…"

**END OF CHAPTER**


	2. The Road To A New Place

_**Chapter 2: The Road To A New Place**_

The following day, Asbel and Cheria stood at the pavement, patiently waiting for the bus to arrive that will take them to Cheria's hometown and birthplace. Behind them were Asbel's parents, Aston and Kerri, as well as his brother Hubert, their friend Sophie and Cheria's grandfather Frederic who is sitting on a wheelchair held by Kerri.

Eventually, they all could see the bus driving its way towards them.

"Are you ready Cheria?" Asbel asked Cheria.

Cheria nods her head and smile. "Ready." Both of them each carried several bags filled with enough clothes and other items that will last enough for the whole summer. Aston, Kerri and Hubert Lhant have agreed to help take care of her grandfather while Cheria is away.

Asbel turns to his younger brother Hubert who smile at him and extends his hand. "Have a safe trip brother. And don't forget to take pictures and buy gifts." Hubert said.

Asbel smiles back and shakes his brother's hand. "Of course brother. And take care of Cheria's grandpa."

Hubert nods his head. He then steps back, allowing Aston and Kerri to step forward to their son.

"Be careful, my son." Aston said to him.

"And don't forget to call us when you reach there." Kerri added.

"Yes mom and dad. I love you." Asbel said to his parents.

"Love you too." Aston replied as he gives his son a pat on his shoulder. Kerri then leans her head down and kisses Asbel's forehead.

The bus then stops next to Asbel and Cheria. Cheria then turns to her grandfather and a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Take care of yourself grandpa. And please get well soon." Cheria said with teary eyes.

Frederic smiles at his granddaughter. "I hope so Cheria. And take care of yourself too. Now go, I'm sure your mother is dying to see you."

Cheria sighs. "I hope so."

"Goodbye Asbel. Bye Cheria." Sophie said, waving her hand at them.

"Bye Sophie." Cheria smiled, waving her hand back at her.

"Goodbye Sophie." Asbel smirked. "And make sure my brother doesn't get into any trouble."

Hubert snorted and adjusts his glasses. "I'm sure I won't." He scoffed. Asbel, Cheria and Sophie simply laugh.

The bus doors open and both Asbel and Cheria bid their family and friend one last farewell before they both carry their bags and board the bus. The bus is long and spacious and filled with soft and comfortable chairs with seat belts. Including Asbel and Cheria, there are very little passengers on the bus. Asbel and Cheria then place their bags inside the compartments above the chairs before taking their seats.

Cheria looks out the window and sees her grandfather waving goodbye to her. Cheria smiles at him and waves back at him. When the bus starts to move off, Cheria watches as Kerri turns the wheelchair around and she pushes Frederic towards Asbel's house with Aston and Hubert following them from behind while Sophie heads her way back to her own home.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. You will see him again soon." Asbel said to Cheria in an assuring tone.

Cheria turns to her friend and sighs again. "I really hope so."

"Hey, don't feel so nervous anymore." Asbel said, comforting Cheria by placing his hand on her shoulder. "For now, we should look forward to heading to your hometown! I sure hope it looks beautiful!"

"It is! I'm sure you'll love it!" Cheria smiled at him.

"I'm feeling anxious already." Asbel said and the two laughed.

Asbel then takes out his iPhone, puts on his earphones and listens to his music while Cheria closes her eyes and decides to take a nap.

* * *

><p>"We're here!" Asbel said, waking Cheria up by nudging her shoulder. Cheria wakes up and looks through the window, realizing that they have reached the hotel which they'll be staying in for the night before they continue their journey.<p>

Cheria rubs her eyes and the two get up from their seats, grab their bags from the compartments, step down from the bus and head their way to the hotel. Asbel and Cheria then collect their room keys from the receptionist and they make their way to the room.

They open up the door and take a look at their room. There are two separate beds, each complete with a white pillow and a white blanket. There's also a lamp placed on a small wooden table and between the two beds. At the left corner of the room is a black TV set placed on a table with a small refrigerator and a wooden chair put underneath it and a dressing mirror next to it. Right next to their right side is the door to the bathroom.

"I'll go take a shower first." Asbel said to Cheria as they put down their bags on the floor. Cheria nods her head and she closes the room door.

Cheria goes to sit on the second bed while Asbel goes into the bathroom. Cheria takes the remote control and turns on the TV

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Asbel comes out of the bathroom, dressed in a new set of clothes which is a white plain t-shirt and light blue shorts. He's also using a towel to wipe his hair. As he does, he sees Cheria staring at the TV with a gloomy expression on her face.<p>

"Cheria? Anything wrong?" He asked his friend.

Cheria turns to Asbel. "Asbel…do you think my mom is willing to see me?" She asked in a worried tone.

Asbel puts aside his towel on the unoccupied bed. "Cheria, you should stop thinking so negative. Didn't your grandpa say that she's to be pitied? She really needs someone like you at her side so…I'm sure she will want to see you."

"Yeah…I guess so." Cheria said.

Asbel goes over to Cheria and sits next to her. "Everything will be fine. And like I said, whatever happens, I'll be at your side." Asbel smirked. Cheria smiles back at him.

"Thanks." She replied softly. Suddenly, a disturbing growling sound is heard. Both Asbel and Cheria look down at their stomachs. They both look back at each other and laughed in embarrassment.

"We kinda forgot about dinner didn't we?" Cheria asked.

"Take a quick shower so we can go to the restaurant and have something to eat." Asbel said.

"Okay!" Cheria then quickly gets up and heads her way to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>After having a good night sleep through the night, Asbel and Cheria get up from their beds the next morning. They make sure not to leave anything behind before they leave their hotel room with their bags. They return back into the bus and continue their way to Cheria's hometown.<p>

It was a pretty uneventful day as Asbel and Cheria spend most of the day staying at their seats and rest until they reach their next hotel. The next night was the same as before but the next morning, both Asbel and Cheria feel really excited because after two long days, they are finally reaching Cheria's hometown.

The bus ride was particularly enjoyable this time. As they drove northwards, they could see the terrain changing even more. There were rockier areas, as well as low-lying swampy areas. The region is full of trees of different shapes and sizes and there are many streams and lakes. Both Asbel and Cheria look amazed as they watch the terrain. Never before have they been in an area like this and seen so much beautiful terrain.

Finally, after another hour passed, the two finally arrived at the town which they will be staying in for the whole of summer. Cheria widens her eyes as memories of her hometown come flooding back into her mind. Most of her hometown still remains the same as she last remembered before moving away to stay with her grandfather. But she knows that there still has to be at least some things that have changed for the past six years.

As they pulled up to the bus stop, they saw several people waiting. Among them was a tall man with short dark grey hair and dark green eyes with a big smile on his face.

**END OF CHAPTER **


	3. Bailey

_**Chapter 3: Bailey**_

Cheria widens her eyes as she and Asbel step out of the bus. Her smile widens as the man walks up to her.

"Welcome home Cheria!" The man greeted.

"Bailey!" Cheria cried happily. She drops her bags and instantly runs up to him and wraps her arms around the man, giving him an embrace. "It's been a long time!"

Bailey chuckled and hugs her back. "Yes Cheria. It really is."

The two then pull each other away from their hug and Bailey looks down at her. "Bailey? How do you know I'm coming?" Cheria asked.

"Your grandfather called your mother and she informed me to pick you up at the bus stop for her." Bailey replied.

"I see…" Cheria said. Bailey smiled as he stares at Cheria.

"You have grown so beautiful, Cheria." He uttered. Cheria giggled at Bailey's comment.

"Oh Bailey, please. Don't make me blush!" Cheria laughed.

Bailey turns his head to Asbel as he walks up to them while carrying his and Cheria's bags. He turns back to Cheria and asked, "Who's he?"

"Bailey…" Cheria gestures her friend to Asbel. "This is my friend, Asbel Lhant." She turns to Asbel and introduces him to Bailey. "Asbel, this is my family friend, Bailey."

"Nice to meet you Bailey!" Asbel smiled as he extends his hand out to him.

"Nice to meet you too Asbel." Bailey grabs his hand and shakes it.

Asbel turns to Cheria and holds up her bags. "Cheria, you drop your bags."

"Oops, sorry." Cheria chuckled nervously as she takes her bags from Asbel, feeling bad that she forgot all about it and that her friend has to carry so much weight.

Then, another man walks up to them from behind. The man is muscular, has dark blonde hair and chin curtain, gold eyes and wears a grey and dark red short-sleeved shirt, black gloves, dark grey pants and black leather pants.

"Hey Cheria! It's nice to see you again!" The man smirked as he waves his hand at her.

Cheria gasped happily. "Mr. Malik!" She runs up to the man, now known as Malik, and wraps her arms around him tightly. "It's so good to see you!"

Malik laughed and he strokes Cheria's hair. "Good to see you too Cheria." Cheria then looks up at Malik and backs away from him.

"It's been a long time." Cheria said to Malik.

"Indeed." Malik nods his head.

"Asbel, how about me and Malik help you carry yours and Cheria's bags?" Bailey said to Asbel.

"Really? Thanks!" Asbel said. He passes his bags to Bailey who takes and carries them.

Cheria also passes her bags to Malik and he carries them with both hands. "Come on, let's get inside my car." Malik said, gesturing Cheria and Asbel to follow him.

"Okay!" Cheria said.

As the four walk their way out of the bus stop, Asbel looks around the town. The place looks definitely bigger and nicer than his hometown. Each building has their own personality. Some are made of bricks and stone, some are made of wood and some are made of concrete and artificial materials. While Asbel's hometown was filled with identical houses, this town has different-looking buildings with their own appearance. The climate and environment makes the town look much more beautiful too. While Asbel's town is located in the grassy plains and hills, this town is built next to the rocky coastline with sand, bright green grass and moss-covered stones.

"Asbel, look out!" Cheria shouted.

Asbel quickly snaps out of his thoughts and stops just in time to allow a fisherman driving a forklift while carrying some crates of fish pass by him safely. Asbel sighs in relief and turns to Cheria.

"Thanks." He said.

"You're welcome." Cheria smiles at Asbel as she stood next to Malik's car. Malik and Bailey are putting their bags into the trunk of his car.

Asbel quickly goes over to them just as Bailey closes the trunk. The four then get inside the car. Malik sits in the driver's seat, Bailey sit in the passenger seat while Cheria and Asbel sit together at the back. They all put on their seat belts and Malik starts the car.

As he drove, Asbel looks out the window and continues scanning his surroundings.

"Enjoy looking at my hometown, Asbel?" Cheria asked.

"Um, yeah." Asbel turns to Cheria and chuckled. "Your hometown looks really beautiful. I've been to many long vacations, but this place looks unique from the other places I've visited before."

Bailey laughed as he turns to Asbel. "You'll get a chance to travel around the town once you've settled into Cheria's home." Just then, Cheria remembered something and turns to Bailey.

"So um, Bailey, Mr. Malik, where's my mother?" Cheria asked with concerned eyes.

"Um…" Malik said slowly, unable to respond.

"Sorry Cheria but...after your mother told me to pick you up at the bus stop yesterday, she left the town on a business trip. She recently had a job promotion so lately she has always been hung up with her work. Sorry about that." Bailey said apologetically.

Cheria sighs sadly as she lowers her head. "It's okay Bailey." She replied. _'I guess some things never changed.'_

"Anyways," Bailey changes the subject. "How was your trip before coming here?"

"Oh it was enjoyable. We see all kinds of terrain such as trees, streams and lakes." Asbel said.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be even more amazed when I show you around my hometown." Cheria turns to Asbel with a smirk.

"Cheria, it's been a long time you're away from this town. Are you sure you still remember everything here?" Asbel asked her.

"Yup." Cheria nods her head. "Well okay, mostly."

They drove down mainstreet, going to the other side of town. Asbel and Cheria stare through the windows and look at the town. Eventually, Malik makes a turn and drives through a smaller road and then again through a road that went through a forest. Here the houses are more spread apart, several hundred feet apart from each other. They didn't drove very far until they finally reach their destination.

"Are we here?" Asbel asked.

"Yes we are." Malik replied.

Malik drives through the gates and arrive at a roundabout which has a fountain placed on a round patch of green grass with four flower beds in the middle. He stops the car in front of the doors to the mansion. Asbel and Cheria step out of the car and take a look at the house. The house was huge and wide. Its walls are brown and there are several huge white windows. The tiles on the roof are grey and there are two chimneys. The doors are grey and next to the entrance are bright green hedges and bushes, including several flowers.

"Is this…really your house Cheria?" Asbel asked with his eyes wide in amazement.

"Yes." Cheria nods her head.

Asbel turns to Cheria and cried, "You never told me you lived in a mansion back in your hometown!"

Cheria laughed and turns to Asbel. "I never like telling my friends that I'm rich. I'm concern that it will make them extremely jealous of me."

"Are you kidding me?" Asbel chuckled. "This is awesome!"

"Are you guys going to talk or take your bags?" Bailey asked as he opens up the car trunk.

"Oh right!" Asbel said. He and Cheria quickly turn around and go over to the car. They grab all of their bags and Bailey closes the trunk. They and Malik then walk up the stairs heading to the wooden doors of the mansion.

When they arrived in front of the doors, Malik was about to reach his hand to the doorknob, but the doors suddenly open up by someone else at the other side.

"Welcome back!" A woman yelled with a big wide grin on her face.

"Aahhh!" Asbel and Cheria cried and jump in surprise. Malik and Bailey roll their eyes at the woman.

"Pascal, please. Don't scare our guest and the owner's daughter." Malik said to the woman.

"Oops." Pascal said as she places a hand in front of her mouth, realizing her bad behavior. "Sorry." Then, she gasped. "Wait, did you say, owner's daughter?"

Bailey nods his head and gestures to Cheria. "Pascal, this is the daughter of Mrs. Barnes, Cheria."

"Hi." Cheria greeted Pascal with a small smile.

Pascal gasped again and she instantly bows down to Cheria, much to her confusion. "Miss Cheria Barnes! I'm so sorry that I scared you earlier and I was unaware of your arrival and I didn't know the mistress actually has a daughter!" Pascal cried.

"Um hey…it's okay. Everything is alright." Cheria said, chuckling nervously. "You don't have to apologize." She examines Pascal and sees that she is a woman who is probably in her 20s. She has shoulder-length red and white hair and wears a short-sleeved light blue shirt, green gloves, orange shorts, black pants and black shoes.

Pascal then looks up and extends out her arms. "Miss Che…Young Mistress! Let me help you carry your bags! You must be tired after travelling all the way here!"

"Sure, thank you." Cheria then passes the bags to Pascal and she carries them with her left hand.

The red-haired servant then turns to Asbel. "And you are…"

"Asbel Lhant. I'm a friend of Che…the Young Mistress." Asbel introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Lhant!" Pascal smiles at Asbel and shakes his hand very fast with her free right hand. "I'm Pascal, the servant of this household!"

"Nice to meet you too Pascal." Asbel said to her. Then he turns to Cheria and whispers to her, "I didn't know your servant is kinda…energetic."

"Actually I didn't know there's a servant in my home now." Cheria said to him. "My mom must have hired her sometime after I left this town."

"Mind if I help you carry your bags too, Mr. Lhant?" Pascal asked.

"Thanks Pascal." Asbel said as he hands his bags to Pascal. Pascal grabs the bags and turns to Malik as he spoke.

"Well guys, I have to go now. I need to get back to my work." Malik said to everyone present. "Asbel, Cheria, I hope you enjoy your stay here. Take a look around here, unpack your stuff, get used to your surroundings and then tomorrow, you guys can take a look around town." He then turns to Pascal. "And Pascal, I can trust you can take care of Asbel and Cheria?"

Pascal then places the bags gently on the floor and gives a mock salute to Malik. "Yes sir!"

Malik nods his head and turns to Asbel, Cheria and Bailey. "Goodbye everyone."

"Bye!" The three said to him, waving their hands. Malik turns to his car and everyone watched as he gets inside and drove off.

"Now then everyone!" Pascal claps her hands, getting the attentions of Asbel, Cheria and Bailey. "Let me give you all a tour around the mansion!"

"Um actually, Bailey and I don't. I lived here remember? And I remembered Bailey visited many times before." Cheria said to Pascal.

"Yes I do." Bailey nods his head.

"Oh." Pascal scratches her head. Then she turns to Asbel and clasps her hands together. "Then I guess it's a tour for you, Mr. Lhant!"

"Yes, of course." Asbel said. "And please, just call me Asbel."

"Sure thing Mist…Asbel!" Pascal said. She turns around and gestures them to enter. "Come on in!"

Pascal picks up the bags and opens the door wide enough for everyone to walk through. As they walk inside, they see that the interior is huge. It's also bright and shiny thanks to the chandelier hung at the ceiling. There's a staircase leading to the second floor that has a balcony. Beyond that is a living room with wide three-seated sofas and a reclining chair. In front of them are a flat-screen plasma TV set and a wooden coffee table and next to the TV is a wooden bookshelf. Continuing past the living room is a sliding room that leads to the back garden and porch.

"This place looks amazing! I can't wait to check out everything!" Asbel exclaimed with his eyes wide.

"You like it so far? How about I take you upstairs and I can also show you the room where you will be resting in." Pascal said to him.

"Sounds good to me!" Asbel said, nodding his head. The two then walk up the stairs and both Cheria and Bailey watch in amusement.

"Your friend sure is energetic like Pascal." Bailey said to Cheria.

"He just hasn't seen a place like this before." Cheria replied. The two turn to each other. "Bailey, I'm glad to see you again. You were the only person I can turn to since my father's death."

"So do I Cheria." Bailey places his hands on her shoulders. "I know how much pain and suffering you and your mother went through and it seems you two still haven't gotten over your past. And that is why I'm here for you. I understand your pain because your father was a close friend of mine. His death pains me too, so I know how you feel."

"Bailey, I don't know what to say. I mean, I'm kinda glad to be back here and see that there are things that haven't change like you and this place. But…I don't know if my life will ever be normal again." She lets out a sigh. "Everything fall apart for me and my family ever since after my father died. Every day I wish that things can go back to the way it is. When my father is alive, my mother is back to her old self, me and my parents are together…but I guess it's nothing more than a stupid wish." Cheria said.

"You have to be strong Cheria. Worry less about the past and concentrate on the present. And remember, if you ever had any problems, you can always come see me for help." Bailey said to her.

"Thank you Bailey." She said to him and the two pull each other into an embrace.

**END OF CHAPTER**


	4. Travelling Around Town

_**Chapter 4: Travelling Around Town**_

"Asbel! Wake up!" Cheria yelled as she burst into Asbel's room and jumps on his bed. Asbel moans as he rose up from his bed and scratches his head.

"Cheria…what time is it?" Asbel asked as he groggily opens his eyes.

"It's 8 in the morning!" Cheria replied excitedly. "

"It's too early to get up." Asbel instantly slumps back onto his bed. "Wake me up later."

Cheria narrows her eyes and folds her arms. "Seriously Asbel, are you going to spend the whole of your first day in my hometown sleeping?"

"Uh-huh." Asbel nods his head in response.

Cheria sighs sadly and droops her arms. "Aw Asbel, today we are going to spend the whole day travelling around my town! I am so looking forward to give you a tour!"

"Just let me sleep for thirty more minutes."

"Please?" Cheria pleaded. Asbel pouted in response. "Fine, go ahead and sleep like a pig for the whole of today." Cheria gets up from Asbel's bed and leaves the room.

Cheria walks downstairs and heads her way to the dining area where Pascal is just leaving the kitchen while holding a plate of pancakes. "Hello Miss Barnes! I made you breakfast!"

"Thank you Pascal." Cheria smiled at Pascal as she pulls a chair. She then sits down and inches forward while Pascal places her food in front of her.

"Where's Asbel?" Pascal asked.

"Right here."

Pascal and Cheria turn their heads to the stairway and sees Asbel walking down. "I knew you would come out." Cheria smirked.

Asbel sniffs and a huge smile appears on his face. "Is that pancakes?" He asked as he now rushes his way to the dining table.

"Yup! And hold your horses, Asbel, there's more where that come from!" Pascal then skips away merrily back into the kitchen to get more pancakes for Asbel.

While Pascal is busy in the kitchen, Asbel turns to Cheria and asked, "So Cheria, how are we going to travel around town?"

"Bailey will pick us up soon in a few minutes. That's why I want you to wake up early." Cheria said. She cuts a slice of pancake and stuffs it into her mouth. She nods her head. "Mmm, delicious."

Suddenly, Cheria felt a tap on her left shoulder. She turns her head in confusion. But suddenly, she frowns and turns back to Asbel who has quickly snatched a slice of her pancake and quickly stuffs it into his mouth. Asbel stares at Cheria with his mouth still stuffed.

"Asbel…" Cheria said sternly. Asbel takes a big gulp and swallows the food. He then smiles innocently at Cheria and shrugs.

"So what are we going to visit today?" Asbel asked Cheria.

"Well mostly locations that I still remember, if they're still there. I mean, this town may have changed since I left so I don't know if some places that I fondly remember are still here." Cheria replied.

"Here you go Asbel!" Pascal said as she walks out of the kitchen with another plate of pancakes. Asbel takes a chair and sits down and Pascal places the food in front of him.

Pascal sighs and said, "So you two are travelling around town today huh?"

"Yup." Cheria said as she and Asbel nod their heads.

"Well…"

"Let me guess, you want to join us as well, don't you?" Asbel asked.

Pascal gasped. "How did you-" She points a finger at Asbel. "You are a mind-reading mutant!" Asbel simply laughed. Then she places her hands behind her back and smiles sheepishly. "But yeah, I wanna have some fun once in a while. I mean…I've been cleaning this place and cooking 24/7."

"Well, since there isn't anything to do in my house right now, you can come along with us." Cheria said.

Pascal gasps and widens her eyes at Cheria. "Really?"

"Sure. Why not?" Cheria smiled and shrugged.

"Oh!" A huge smile appears on Pascal's face and she grabs Cheria's hand and shakes it frantically. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She releases her hand and gestures to the kitchen. "Now then, you guys enjoy your breakfast while I'll go get my stuff to prepare myself for the outing!"

Asbel and Cheria watched Pascal rushes into the kitchen excitedly. Cheria then arches an eyebrow. "How did my mom hire someone like her to be her servant is beyond me." She said before she and Asbel continue eating their pancakes.

* * *

><p>Bailey presses the doorbell and waits patiently as he stood in front of the mansion's doors. He feels very excited to be bringing Cheria and her friend around the town today, especially since it's been six years since he last saw her.<p>

After the death of her father, he would always pay a visit to Cheria to comfort her, especially in days when her mother is still at work and too busy to come back home for her daughter. Both him and Cheria quickly become very close and she would treat him like a 'second father'. However, when he heard that her mother would be sending Cheria away to another town to live with her grandfather, he felt disappointed as he has developed a strong connection with her but Cheria has sent him letters from time to time, reminding him that she is doing fine.

Now, after six years, she has returned back to this town and Bailey couldn't be anymore happier. And he certainly can't wait to help Cheria keep up what has happened here for the past six years.

The doors open up revealing Cheria, Asbel and Pascal now in casual clothing. Asbel is dressed in a sleeveless black jacket with a white t-shirt underneath it, blue jeans and black shoes. Cheria is dressed in a white t-shirt with a red ribbon around her collar, her hair is tied to a single ponytail with a black ribbon ad also wears a green checkered skirt, dark blue socks and black shoes. Pascal is dressed in a white long-sleeved sweater with a black scarf around her neck, black skirt, black socks and brown shoes.

"Good morning Bailey." Cheria greeted.

"Good morning everyone." Bailey said. He turns to Pascal. "Hmm, I didn't know Pascal is coming with us today."

"Oh I gave her a day off and invited her to come along with us." Cheria explained.

"Yup! A whole day of no work for me! How rare is that?" Pascal said grinning while placing her hands at the back of her head.

"So, shall we get going now? I can't wait to look around the town!" Asbel said, sounding anxious.

"Sure. Come on into my car." Bailey gestures everyone to his car. Pascal then closes and locks the doors and they all walk over to Bailey's car. As they walk, Asbel and Cheria sees that his car is a nice silver Nissan Teana car.

"Bailey, can I sit with you in the front?" Cheria asked Bailey.

"Sure." Bailey smiled at her.

"Well then, I guess you and me will be sitting in the back together huh?" Pascal asked Asbel.

"Yup, I guess so." Asbel said. Bailey gets into the driver's seat, Cheria sits in the passenger seat while Asbel and Pascal sit in the back.

Bailey then starts the car and they drove off, making their way to the town.

* * *

><p>"And over there is the statue of General Paradine, a noble American Revolutionary general who participate in the battles of White Plains and Fort Washington. After retiring from the military, he founded this town." Bailey said as they drive around the said statue which is located at the middle of a roundabout.<p>

"Wow." Asbel uttered as he stares at the statue until Bailey makes a turn and drives into the outer road. Asbel turns back to the front after it is out of his sight.

Cheria gasped as she widens her eyes at something she spot in the distance. "Bailey! Can we stop over there?" She said while pointing at the location she has spotted.

Bailey turns his head to the direction where Cheria is pointing at. "Oh, the beach? Sure." Bailey then drives his way to the beach's carpark. He finds an empty space and parks in it. Cheria then quickly gets out of the car and rushes her way to the beach. When she arrives, she removes her shoes and places her feet onto the sand. She looks up at the sea and watches the currents making their way to the coast and

Asbel, Pascal and Bailey walk up to Cheria from behind. "This was my favorite place in my town and it's exactly how I remembered." Cheria said. "Every time when I feel bored or stressed, I would come here to get things out of my mind."

"It sure looks beautiful." Asbel said, staring at the ocean in awe. This is the first time he has seen the ocean. Back at his hometown, the biggest body of water he has ever seen was a river, which is also his town's only source of sea transportation. It is huge but still not as vast and boundless as the ocean.

Cheria's eyes then feel cold and she lowers her head. "But no matter what, the memories of my father will always come back to me eventually." She said sadly.

Bailey places his hand on her shoulder. "It will take time, but those horrible memories will fade away some day." He said.

"And besides, if you ever feel troubled, you still got me and Bailey." Asbel added.

"What about me?" Pascal asked, feeling upset. Everyone turns to Pascal and chuckled.

"Yes, even you Pascal." Asbel said grinning. "Sorry we forgot."

"Yay!" Pascal perked up and places her hands behind her back.

"Hey, is that Pascal?"

Pascal's huge smile instantly vanished and a huge utter shock expression appears on her face as she instantly recognizes the voice.

"What's wrong, Pascal?" Cheria asked confused. Asbel looks equally puzzled. Bailey however chuckled, knowing who is behind Pascal right now.

Pascal places her finger in front of her lips and shushes Cheria and Asbel. "Maybe if we stay quiet, they will forget about us." Pascal whispered to them.

"Sis, can you just turn around and face us?" Another voice said, sounding annoyed.

Pascal groans, rolls her eyes and droops her arms in defeat. "It's not working." She turns around and face the source of the voices. They were coming from two girls. One is a woman, looks slightly older and taller than Pascal, has the same red and white hair except tied to a ponytail and wears a sleeveless tank top, black skirt and sandals. The other is a short and young girl who has long white and purple hair and dressed in a black tank top, black skirt and sandals.

"Hey Sis. Hey Poisson." Pascal deadpanned and waves her hand at them.

"Who are they?" Cheria asked.

"Oh that's just Pascal's elder sister and friend, Fourier and Poisson." Bailey said.

"So sis, what are you doing here? Slacking off?" Fourier asked, folding her arms.

"No I'm not!" Pascal said in annoyance while flailing her arms. "I'm taking good care of the young mistress!"

"Young mistress? When do you now refer Mrs. Barnes as Young Mistress?" Fourier asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, she's not referring to my mother. She's referring to me." Cheria said, stepping forward. "Hi, I'm Cheria Barnes."

Fourier's annoyed look instantly disappears as she sees Cheria. She smiles and walks over to Cheria. "Nice to meet you Cheria." She extends her hand. "I'm Fourier. I hope my sister doesn't trouble you." The comment causes Pascal to growl.

Cheria giggled and shakes hands with Fourier. "No, I assure you. She isn't. And she isn't slacking off. I invited her to come along."

"See? I told ya!" Pascal yelled at her elder sister.

Asbel steps forward as well and said to Fourier. "And I'm Asbel Lhant, Cheria's friend."

Fourier turns to Asbel and smiles at him. "Nice to meet you too Asbel." She and Asbel then shake hands as well. Fourier then pulls her hand away from Asbel and Poisson steps forward.

"Hi Cheria and Asbel, I'm Poisson, friend of Fourier and Pascal." Poisson greeted the two.

"Hello Poisson." Asbel waves his hand at her.

"Nice to meet you." Cheria added as she bows her head.

"Anyways, I didn't know Mrs. Barnes has a daughter." Poisson said.

"Yes she does." Bailey said to her and Fourier as he walks over. "Cheria left this town six years ago and you guys still weren't around when she left. So that's why you two don't know about her."

"I see." Fourier said to Bailey before turning to Cheria. "And what brings you back here then Cheria?"

"Well, my grandfather is becoming too ill to take care of me so he sent me back here to my hometown." Cheria explained. "And my friend Asbel came along with me."

Pascal interrupts by coughing loudly. This annoys Fourier and causes her and Poisson to turn to her. "So sis, exactly what have you been up to and what are you and Poisson doing here in the first place?" Pascal asked while placing her hands at her hips and arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, we're just taking photos of the beach as references from my next artwork." Fourier said as she takes out a digital camera from the pocket of her skirt.

"Artwork?" Asbel asked.

"Yes." Poisson said to him. "Fourier works as a freelance artist and I'm her inking assistant."

"Yup." Fourier nods her head. "Definitely a job better than a lowly servant in a mansion."

"Hey! Working as a servant in a mansion earns a lot of money too, ya know?!" Pascal snapped back at Fourier.

"Ummmm…" Asbel quickly stands between the two women and interrupts their conversation. "Maybe we should get going…"

"Yeah." Cheria chuckled nervously as she grabs Pascal's arm and they, Asbel and Bailey back away.

Fourier coughs and calms down. "Yeah, I have to get back to work anyway. Goodbye everyone."

"Bye!" Poisson added as she and Fourier waved goodbye.

"See ya guys later." Bailey said as he, Asbel and Cheria wave their hands back at them. Pascal however turns around and walks her way back to the car.

After Asbel, Cheria, Bailey and Pascal gets back into the car, Bailey starts the engine and drives back down the road.

"I can tell you and your sister don't get along." Asbel said to Pascal.

Pascal sighs and calms down. She turns to Asbel and smiled. "Yeah, typical sibling rivalry."

"I know how you feel. My brother Hubert and I also fight each other sometimes."

As they continue driving down the road, Pascal eventually spots someone walking down the pavement while pushing a broken bicycle with him. The man has shoulder-length blonde hair and wears a black shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes.

"Halt! Stop the car!" Pascal yelled to Bailey. Bailey quickly steps on the brake and stops the car. Pascal then lowers the window and pokes her head out of it. "Hey Richard!" She waves her hand at him. Richard turns to Pascal with a shy expression on his face. "Where are ya heading? You want us to give you a lift?"

Richard remains silent and nods his head. "Alrighty then! Let me help ya carry your bicycle." Pascal said as she gets out of the car and walks over to Richard.

Cheria turns to Bailey and asked in concern, "Bailey? What's wrong with Richard? He looks very shy."

Bailey remained silent for a moment before turning to Cheria. "Don't you remember, Cheria?"

"What?"

"Richard was there…when your father died…" Bailey said slowly.

"Oh yeah." Cheria turns her head away, feeling pale. "I remembered now."

"His death traumatized him and always stays rather quiet since." Bailey added. "His death hit him as hard as it hit you and your mother."

"What are you guys talking about?" Asbel asked them. Cheria turns to Asbel.

"Richard is another friend of mine. And it was him who…found my father's body." Cheria said and took a deep breath.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Asbel said, feeling ashamed that he brought up a sensitive topic. After Pascal help mounts Richard's bike on the back of Bailey's car, she opens the door to allow Richard to get inside. When Richard sits up in the middle between Asbel and Pascal, he widens his eyes when he sees Bailey and Cheria.

"Hey Richard, it's been a while." Cheria greeted Richard with a weak smile.

"How have you been Richard?" Bailey asked.

"I'm fine." Richard replied quietly, his hands fidgeting on his lap. "Good to see you again, Cheria."

Pascal then closes the door and Bailey continues driving down the road. It didn't take long for them to reach Richard's house. Pascal and Richard then get out of the car and she helps dismount his bike from Bailey's car. Pascal helps pushes his bike as she and Richard head to the doorway. After Richard gets inside, Pascal rushes back to Bailey's car and sits back down at her seat. She closes the door and they continue driving off.

**END OF CHAPTER**


	5. Nightmares

_**Chapter 5: Nightmares**_

_**Seven Years Ago…**_

_Cheria watched as Bailey removes the last red checker piece from the checker board._

"_I win again, Cheria." Bailey smirked at Cheria who sat in front of her._

"_Man, you always win Uncle Bailey." An 11-year old Cheria chuckled. "Still, I always have fun playing checkers with you."_

_Suddenly, the door-bell rings and the two turn to the doorway. Bailey gets up from the chair, walks to the door and opens it, revealing Cheria's father._

"_Hello Bailey." Her father said smiling._

"_Hi." Bailey smiled back._

"_I'm done with work. It's time for me to pick my daughter home." Cheria's father added._

"_Daddy!" Cheria cried happily as she runs over to her dad. Bailey watched as Cheria spread her arms open and wraps them around her father's waist. Her father laughed as he pats his grinning daughter on her head._

"_How are you, sweetie?" Her father asked._

_Cheria looks up at her father, giving him a huge smile on her face. "I'm fine daddy! I had so much fun with Uncle Bailey!" She said._

"_That's great."_

"_Daddy, can I visit Uncle Bailey again tomorrow?" Cheria asked._

"_Sure, when I'm at work."_

_Cheria turns to Bailey. "Don't worry Bailey. You hear that? I'll get to drop by your house again tomorrow!"_

"_Yeah…" Bailey sighed. "Tomorrow…"_

* * *

><p>Cheria opens her eyes, finding herself in her room. She sighs as she rose up from her bed and pulls the strands of hair away from her eyes. She had another dream of her father. She lately dreamt of times when her father is still alive and that her whole family is together, including her mother. How she wish those dreams were reality.<p>

She then lets out a sad sigh. There's no point in thinking about the past because there's no way her father will ever be alive or her family be together again. It's nothing but the honest truth.

She looks around her room. Her room is small but there is enough space to have a desk placed at right corner of the room. There's a bookshelf filled with her favorite books placed next to the desk. She's surprised that the books are still there in her shelf after six years. In front of her and her bed is a wide wardrobe filled with all her clothes. It's exactly how she remembered before leaving town and she's surprised her mother (or probably Pascal) still kept the place clean, neat and untouched. It's as if her mother still has her inside a part of her heart.

She was about to go back to sleep when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Cheria turns to the door and call out, "Come in."

The door opens and Asbel steps into the room. "Hey Cheria, are you ready?"

Cheria arches an eyebrow at Asbel. "For what?"

"To go out and explore your town. This time, just ourselves." Asbel said.

"Ah yes. But can't we do that during the afternoon? It's still 7 in the morning."

"I just thought it's a good idea to wake you up early so that we can get ready before the time comes." Asbel said.

"Well it's not a good idea. I'm still feeling tired so I'm going back to sleep. Give me at least another hour of rest." Cheria then slumps back on her bed.

Asbel smirks. "Well, if you're not going to wake up, that I'll have to make you wake up."

"What?" Cheria said. Suddenly, without warning, Asbel jumps and lands on her bed and next to her. This causes Cheria to jolt up from her bed in shock. Asbel also gets up and wraps his arms around Cheria, causing her to laugh.

"Asbel! Stop!" Cheria cried, trying to suppress her laughs.

"Then wake up!" Asbel said as he now rubs his face against Cheria's cheek. Cheria laughed some more and pushes Asbel away.

"Fine! I'm up now! Happy now?" Cheria asked with a lopsided grin.

Asbel smirks at her. "I knew you will."

* * *

><p>Asbel and Cheria make their way down to the dining room where Pascal just placed two plates of eggs and bacons on the table. She turns to the two and smiles at them. "Hey guys! Sleep well?"<p>

"Yup." Asbel nods his head.

"Not really for me." Cheria said before yawning.

"Maybe breakfast will make you feel better." Pascal said, gesturing them to their food on the table. Asbel and Cheria then walk over to the table, sit down on their chairs and eat their meals.

Pascal then asked them, "So what are you guys going to do today?"

"Well, we're exploring around town again, this time by ourselves." Cheria replied.

Pascal cocks an eyebrow. "I thought we did that yesterday?"

"Yeah but it's mostly just sightseeing. I want to do things like shopping and eating in the town." Asbel said.

"I see. Well, just take care of ourselves and be careful alright?" Pascal said.

"We will Pascal! And keep my house clean while we're gone." Cheria smiled.

Pascal gives Cheria a salute. "Yes ma'am!" She said. She then turns around and leaves the dining room, continuing her chores around the mansion.

After Asbel and Cheria finished eating their breakfast, they get up from the chairs, grab their plates and head to the kitchen. After they finished cleaning their plates, they turn to each other.

"Alright! Let's go exploring!" Asbel said to her excitedly.

"Right!" Cheria nods her head, smiling.

* * *

><p>"<em>Piggy back! Piggy back! Give me a piggy back ride, Uncle Bailey!" Cheria said cheerfully.<em>

"_Okay!" Bailey smiled as he kneels down on the grass. Cheria then jumps onto Bailey's back and Bailey gets up and runs around the backyard, making Cheria laugh. Then she sees some butterflies flying pass them and it catches her attention._

"_Bailey, Bailey! After the butterflies!" Cheria yelled, pointing at the butterflies. _

_Bailey smirks and said, "Okay!" He and Cheria run after the butterflies and they landed at a nearby flower patch._

"_Let me see them!" Cheria said. Bailey kneels down and Cheria widens her eyes as she extends her finger at the butterflies who are resting on the flowers. One of them flies over to Cheria and lands on her finger. "Pretty…"_

"_Yeah. They are monarch butterflies." Bailey said to her. "They're one of the most beautiful creatures in the world, aren't they?"_

_Cheria nods her head in response._

_Suddenly, the door slides open, revealing Cheria's mother. "Cheria! It's time to go home!" She called._

_Cheria turns to her mother, causing the butterfly to fly off from her finger. She smiled at her mother and replied, "Okay mommy!"_

_Bailey sighs and carefully carries Cheria off her back and places her on the ground._

"_Say goodbye to Uncle Bailey!" Her mother said._

"_Bye Uncle Bailey." Cheria said to Bailey, waving her hand at him._

_Bailey smiled and said, "Bye Cheria. Can you imagine everyday can be like this?"_

_Cheria smiles back and nods her head. "Mmm! So do I!"_

_Suddenly, everything went dark and Cheria gasps and widens her eyes in horror. She then finds herself hearing anguished voices._

"_Oh my God! No!"_

"_Somebody call an ambulance!"_

"_He's not breathing!"_

"_Daddy! Wake up!"_

"_Honey! Please don't leave me!"_

"_Don't die on us! Please!"_

"_Wake up Daddy! WAKE UP!"_

"Cheria, wake up."

Cheria gasped as her eyes snap open and she jolts up from her seat. Asbel, who is sitting next to her, looks surprised and worried at her reaction.

Cheria breathes heavily and Asbel asked, "Cheria? Are you alright?"

Cheria wipes off some sweat from her forehead and turns to Asbel. "Yeah…" She muttered. "I'm fine."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Asbel asked.

"Yeah…" Cheria replied softly.

Asbel pats her back to comfort her. "Don't worry. It's just a bad dream and it's not real." He then looks out the window and sees that they are nearing their destination. Asbel quickly turns to the bus alarm that is next to him on the right and he presses it, signaling the bus to stop at the next stop.

'_No Asbel…it did happen…'_ Cheria thought.

When the bus stops at their destination, Asbel and Cheria get up from their seats and leave the bus.

* * *

><p>Asbel and Cheria both visit a clothes store and the two scan through all the clothing. Asbel finds a blue sweatshirt and shows it to Cheria. "Hey Cheria, do you think my brother would look good in this?" He asked.<p>

"Don't you think he already has enough blue shirts?" Cheria asked him.

"Huh. Yeah, you're right." Asbel said before putting the shirt back to the rack that's in front of him.

"While we are looking through all of this clothing, let's look one for Sophie too!" Cheria said as she turns back to the rack that's in front of her as scans through the dresses.

"But we don't know her measurements." Asbel said to her.

"No, I do." Cheria said.

"Huh? On what occasion are you to able to have the chance to see Sophie's measurements?" Asbel asked as he places her hands on his hips and arches an eyebrow.

"Not telling. I don't want you to fantasize now." Cheria chuckled.

"Fine. It's just girls' stuff anyways." Asbel laughed before turning back to the rack and looks through the shirts.

Cheria stops for a moment and turns to Asbel. She smiled at him. When Cheria moved to Asbel's hometown, she suffered huge emotional stress and depression over her father's death. Because of that, her personality changed as well. For the first few months, she didn't show a lot of emotion. This causes people to think she's either shy or antisocial. People have teased her, others were alienated by it. She couldn't make any friends as a result and no one was able to look through her icy shell. That is, until she met Asbel. When they first met, she kept quiet and try to avoid him. But Asbel kept following her and ask her many questions until eventually, Cheria decides to speak up and interact with him. Asbel was able to penetrate the icy shell in her heart and truly prove to her to be her friend.

Asbel then introduces her to his brother Hubert and his other friend Sophie and the four remained as friends since. Cheria is very grateful to Asbel for making her find happiness again and she knows how important he is to her.

Asbel smiles as he found two sweatshirts, one that is black and the other is white. He shows them to Cheria and asked, "What do you think of these two?"

"Why two? I thought you're looking for one for Hubert." Cheria said.

"Intially yeah, until I found this white one. The black one is for Hubert and the white one is for me." Asbel said.

"You got a lot of white shirts already." Cheria said to Asbel. "Seriously, first Hubert with blue shirts and now you with white shirts."

"Hey, it's natural for Hubert to wear blue and me to wear white."

"But now you want Hubert to wear black."

Asbel groaned and said, "You know what, it's now own decision to buy whatever I want anyways so…I'll just buy them anyway."

* * *

><p>Throughout the rest of the day, Asbel and Cheria travel around the town together. After buying their clothes, they go to an arcade to play some games. Then they go to a cinema to watch a movie. After the movie ended, the two decide to have dinner in a fast-food restaurant.<p>

When they finished dinner, the two make their way home by bus. By the time they reach home, they feel exhausted.

When they arrive at the mansion doors, they were greeted by Pascal who welcomes them home. Cheria tells Asbel and Pascal that she decides to go to bed first and call it a day.

Asbel and Pascal acknowledge it. Cheria heads her way to her bedroom while Asbel decides to go to the living room and watch some TV.

After taking a shower, Cheria changes into her pajamas and lies down on her bed. She covers herself with her blanket and closes her eyes.

_"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Cheria! Happy birthday to you!"_

_Cheria's parents, Bailey, Malik, Richard and several other people sat around a table and applauded after singing. Cheria sat at the end, smiling and giggling at the birthday cake in front of her. Today is Cheria's 12th birthday and her family organized a birthday party for her at the town's riverside park._

_"Make a wish, Cheria!" Her father said. Cheria closes her eyes for a few seconds before blowing the candles on her cake. Everyone clap their hands again._

_"Now it's time to cut the cake!" Her mother said as she gets up from her chair. But before she could get the knife to cut the birthday cake, Cheria already gets off her chair and runs off._

_"Cheria! Where are you going?" Her mother asked._

_Cheria turns to her mother and said, "I want to play first before I eat!"_

_"I want to play too! Wait up!" Richard said as he gets off from his chair and goes after her._

_"Me too!" One of her friends said before the other children all get off from their chairs and join Cheria and Richard at the nearby playground. The children's parents get up from their seats and watch their children play._

_Cheria's father laughed and places his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry dear, let them have their fun. After all, it's Cheria's last year as a child."_

_Her mother sighed and smiled. "Yeah."_

_"Well, at the meantime, we can have a little chat." Bailey said as he and Malik walk over to Cheria's father._

_"Yeah, it's been a while since we three sat together, isn't it?" Malik said in agreement._

_"Sure." Cheria's father said._

_As all the children play at the playground, Cheria, who is sitting at the top of the slide, turns her head and sees Bailey, Malik and her father walking off to the field of tall grass and trees beyond the park._

_"Cheria! Get moving!" Richard said from behind._

_"Oh right!" Cheria said as she turns back to the front. She then squealed happily as she slides down to the bottom. She then gets up and looks around the playground._

_The other children in the playground are building sandcastles, sitting on swings and playing beach balls._

_Richard slides down and joins Cheria at the bottom. Richard gets up and stands next to Cheria. "I'm bored. Can we play something different?" He asked Cheria. Cheria turns to Richard and nods her head._

_"Sure!" She said. The two decide to explore the park. They run over to the trees and Cheria turns to Richard. "Let's play hide and seek!"_

_"Okay. I'll hide, you seek." Richard said to her. Cheria nods her head and she turns to the tree and covers her eyes. She starts counting and Richard quickly runs off to hide._

_"1…2…3…4…20!" Cheria laughed as she intentionally skips to twenty. She turns and yelled, "Ready or not! Here I come!"_

_"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_Cheria gasped and turns to the direction of the earsplitting scream. "Richard?" She said. Hurriedly, she runs towards the direction of the scream._

_Cheria becomes frantic and terrified as she ran. What if something happened to Richard? She hopes nothing bad has happened to him. Eventually, after passing through a few more trees, she arrived at the scene and she widens her eyes in horror. She found Richard, but also found something else._

_Lying on the ground next to the river was her father. Her father is lying there motionlessly. His eyes are lifeless and rolled back, his lips are tinged blue and his entire body is limp. Cheria and Richard could only stood still, too horrified to move. Cheria could only stood shaking, seeing that the man who raised her all her life is now dead._

_"What happened? We heard-" Malik arrived at the scene as well. He cuts off when he widens his eyes in horror, seeing Cheria's father lying on the ground dead. "No!" He yelled as he immediately runs over to her father, kneel down next to his body and starts performing CPR._

_Bailey, Cheria's mother, her friends and their parents arrived at the scene as well and they all look equally shocked._

_"What happened?!" Bailey yelled in horror._

_"OH MY GOD! NO!" Cheria's mother cried, horrified to see her husband dead. She tries to go over but Bailey quickly stops her._

_"No! Stay back!" Bailey said to her._

_"No! I have to go over to my husband!" Her mother cried as tears now pour out from her eyes. "HONEY!"_

_"Somebody call an ambulance!" Malik yelled, turning to the people behind him. Someone quickly takes out his phone and call for help while the others continue crying and talking about the situation._

_"He's not breathing!" Someone in the crowd yelled. Meanwhile, Richard's parents pull their son away to give Malik some space. Richard remains shocked and horrified as he gets pulled away._

_Eventually, Cheria managed to yell out as she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Daddy! Wake up!"_

_"Honey! Please don't leave me!" Her mother cried hysterically over her husband's body._

_"Don't die on us! Please!" Bailey yelled to Cheria's father as he pulls her mother away._

_"I'm trying everything I can!" Malik yelled as he frantically tries to revive Cheria's father._

_"Wake up Daddy!" Cheria sobbed. "WAKE UP!"_

Cheria jolts up from her bed and breathes heavily. She places her hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath. She then uses her other hand to wipe off the sweat from her forehead and face.

Cheria looks around and sees that she's still in her room. After the flashback she had, she knows she's not going to sleep well for the rest of the night. She gets out from her bed and leaves her room. She walks down the stairs and goes to the living room. She sees Asbel sitting on the couch and has fallen asleep while the television is still on. Cheria grabs the remote control from the table and uses it to turn off the television.

She then goes over to Asbel and nudges him on the shoulder, waking him up. Asbel moans as he opens his eyes. He turns to Cheria and asked in confusion, "Cheria?"

"Asbel…" Cheria muttered.

Asbel looks around for a moment before turning back to Cheria. "What time is it?"

Cheria turns to the grandfather clock behind Asbel and says, "It's 1 am."

"Why do you wake me up at 1?" Asbel asked.

"Because one, you've fallen asleep while watching TV and sleeping on the couch and two…I had a nightmare." Cheria said.

Asbel widens his eyes. "Again?" Cheria nods her head sadly. She turns to Asbel.

"Asbel…can I…sleep with you?" Cheria asked.

Asbel blushes as he hears that. "Ummm…" He gulped.

"Please Asbel…I need some company after the dream I had." Cheria said with sad pleading eyes.

Asbel nods his head. He gets up from the couch and wraps an arm around Cheria. "Alright. You can sleep with me."

"Thank you." She said. The two then head back upstairs and enter Asbel's room. Asbel and Cheria then goes over to the bed and lie down on it. Asbel lies down at the left side of the bed while Cheria lies down on the right.

Asbel then takes a bolster and places it at the middle of the bed to separate him from Cheria.

"You know… I don't want to…" Asbel struggles to explain to Cheria. Cheria chuckled.

"It's okay. I know." She said. "Again, thank you."

"You're welcome." Asbel replied before going back to sleep. Cheria goes to sleep as well and as she closes her eyes, tears stream down from her cheeks.

**END OF CHAPTER**


	6. A Walk Outside

_**Chapter 6: A Walk Outside**_

The next morning, Asbel and Cheria just ate their breakfast quietly. Cheria remained silent, not wanting to tell Asbel what was her nightmare last night that caused her to wake him up at 1 in the morning. Asbel chose to remain silent as well.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Pascal yelled as she rushes out of the kitchen and heads her way to the doors. Asbel and Cheria could hear Pascal opening the doors and saying, "Hello Mr. Bailey!"

Asbel perks up as he looks at Cheria. "Cheria, Bailey is here!"

Cheria nods her head in response while still keeping a gloomy expression on her face. They heard the doors closed and both Pascal and Bailey walk into the dining area to see them.

"Good morning kids." Bailey greeted.

"Good morning." Asbel replied. Cheria remains quiet as she continues eating her breakfast.

"Is Cheria alright?" Bailey asked in concern.

"She just had a nightmare last night." Asbel said.

"Oh." Bailey then rubs his chin to ponder for a moment. Then, a smile appears on his face and he said, "Cheria, how about after breakfast, let's go for a walk in the park! Maybe a nice walk around the park will make you feel better!"

Cheria turns to Bailey and a small smile appears on her face. "Sounds great, Mr. Bailey." She said. Bailey nods his head and Cheria turns to Asbel.

"Asbel, do you want to join us?" She asked.

"Nah. I don't think so. My feet are still kinda ached after all the walking we had around town yesterday." Asbel said.

"You two had a walk together yesterday?" Bailey asked the two.

Cheria turns to Bailey. "Yes. We do. We mostly did shopping and playing games at the arcade."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you two had fun yesterday." Bailey said.

Cheria turns back to her food and quickly finish eating her breakfast. After eating, she gets up from her chair and goes over to Bailey.

"Have fun, you two!" Asbel said to the two.

"We will." Cheria said as she and Bailey turn around and walk their way out of the house.

After the two left the house, Asbel finishes his breakfast and he and Pascal take the dirty plates to the kitchen. The two clean the dishes together.

"You know, you're really helpful Asbel." Pascal said to him.

"Thanks Pascal." Asbel said, smiling at her.

"But seriously, you can just leave the cleaning of dishes to me next time."

"Oh no, it's okay. I insist." Asbel chuckled. When the two are done, Asbel takes a towel to wipe his hands. He passes it to Pascal and she said to him while drying her hands, "So Asbel, your feet are aching?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Asbel asked.

A huge grin appears on Pascal's face as she places her fists on the sides of her hip. "Well, it's your lucky day because I happen to be an expert of acupuncture!"

Asbel widens his eyes. "Wait…acupuncture? As in-"

"Inserting needles into your body? Yes! That's the thing I'm talking about! I just so happen to have the needles for it in my pouch right now and…hey, where are you going?!"

* * *

><p>Asbel quickly runs out of the house, not wanting to have the acupuncture Pascal is talking about. Even if she is an expert, he sure doesn't want to experience the pain of having a needle piercing into his skin. He quickly runs down the pavement and after making sure he is safely far away from the mansion, he slows down to a brisk walk. His feet still ache though so maybe along the way, he could find a bench to sit and rest on.<p>

Asbel smiles as he walks down the pavement on the side of the road. He looks down and watches the squirrels and chipmunks scampering away. He then looks up and enjoys the nice cooling wind blowing through his hair and clothes.

As he was walking, he saw somebody walking along on the other side of the road. Asbel widens his eyes, recognizing the person immediately. He stops and yells at him while waving his hand. "Richard!"

Richard jumped in surprise. He turns to Asbel and sees him waving at him. He watches Asbel running across the road and going over to him. "Hey there Richard. Remember me? I was in Bailey's car with Cheria and Pascal the other day and we help bring you back home."

Richard nods his head and stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Yeah…I remembered…" He said nervously.

Asbel places his hand on Richard's shoulder and chuckled. "Hey, there's no need to be shy. Anyone who is a friend of Cheria is also my friend." He said. Richard is about an inch taller than Asbel but he's definitely quite shy, even to people who are younger and shorter than him. "So where do you live?"

"I was…heading my way home actually." Richard replied.

"Oh. Can you show me your home?" Asbel said.

"Sure…you can follow me…" He said, nodding his head. Asbel followed Richard as the two walk down the pavement together. They eventually reach Richard's house which is a simple white suburban house with white wooden walls and a grey tiled roof.

"Here we are…" Richard muttered as the two stood in front of his house. Asbel looks at the doorway and notices Richard's bike placed next to it.

"Is that your bike? You were pushing it the other day." Asbel said, pointing at it.

"Yes." Richard nods his head. The two walk over to the bicycle. As they stare at it, Richard explains to Asbel, "The bicycle broke on me two days ago. The back wheel of my bicycle constantly gets jammed and the crank wouldn't rotate properly."

"I see. Mind if I fix it for you?" Asbel said to Richard. Richard frowns nervously and remains silent for moment, unsure of how to respond. Asbel gave him an assuring smile. "Don't worry Richard. I just want to help."

Eventually, Richard nods his head in response. "Alright." Asbel said. "Do you have a tool box in your garage?"

"Yeah. I'll get it." Richard turns around and heads his way to the garage. He returns to Asbel a minute later with the tool box in his hand. He places the tool box in front of Asbel. Asbel kneels down and examines the tools inside the box. He nods in approval, making sure he has the right tools to fix the problem.

"Great. Stand back Richard. I'll fix your bike in a jiffy." Asbel said. Richard obliged and backs away, letting Asbel have some space to do the fixing. Asbel takes a closer look at the crank Richard was talking about earlier. He grabs the pedal, lifts the bicycle up and rotates the crank until it gets stuck. He then leans his head forward and narrows his eyes at the chain around the crank. He then turns to Richard and said, "I see the problem, Richard! There is dirt and pebbles jammed inside the chain. That's why the crank can't rotate properly and the back wheel can't move!"

Asbel turns to the toolbox and takes a small screwdriver. He then uses the screwdriver and pushes the pebbles and dirt out of the holes of the bicycle chain. Richard stood silent as he watches Asbel pushing them out. After a few minutes, Asbel finally pushes them out of the holes. He puts the screwdriver down and lifts up the bicycle. He rotates the crank with the pedal again and this time, it rotates freely with no problem at all. Asbel places the bicycle back down and puts the screwdriver back into the toolbox. He gets up, carries the toolbox and places it aside. He turns back to Richard.

"Give it a try!" He said to him. Richard then nervously mounts onto his bicycle and lifts the brake up. He then begins pedaling. To his surprise, his bicycle is gliding away smoothly, no longer afflicted with jamming like before. Richard picked up speed and cycles around the driveway of his house. Pulling back up, he went over to Asbel and he gave him a smile. It's the first smile Asbel has ever seen from him. Richard then stops the bicycle in front of Asbel, gets off and walks over to him.

"Thank you very much." Richard said to Asbel.

"Ah, no worries. I just like to help people. That's all." Asbel smiled at him. He extends out his hand. Richard looks down at Asbel's hand and after a few seconds, he grabs it and the two shook hands.

"So Richard, where were you going earlier?" Asbel asked as the two boys release their hands.

"Nowhere." Richard shook his head. "I just like to walk alone."

"Are your parents at home?" Asbel asked.

"No. They're on their honeymoon."

"I see. Well, I guess I better get back to Cheria's house. She and Bailey are probably back home by now after their walk in the park. And Pascal is probably worried about me where I ran off to. See ya later Richard!" Asbel turns around and was about to walk off but suddenly, Richard grabs his arm.

"No please!" Richard said with a frown. Asbel turns back to Richard with a puzzled look. "Would you…mind staying with me for a while?"

"Why?" Asbel asked in confusion.

"I hadn't…had someone to talk to…for a while and…you're the first person I…ever talk to in a while. That's why." Richard lowers his head.

"Really?" Asbel arches an eyebrow. "Don't you have any other friends?"

"No." Richard shook his head. "After Cheria left, I…hadn't had any friends for a while."

Asbel couldn't help but sigh in pity. He does feel sorry for Richard, being all alone at home because his parents are away and not having any other or new friends after Cheria left, thus making him an outcast.

"Alright. I guess Cheria, Bailey and Pascal can wait for me a little longer." Asbel said to Richard. Richard lifts his head up and perks up.

"Thank you Asbel!" He said to him. "I appreciate it."

* * *

><p>Richard and Asbel both sat together at the dining table in Richard's house. The two sat in front of each other, playing a game of Go Fish. As they play, Richard became more interactive towards Asbel. Asbel learnt from Richard that after the incident involving the death of Cheria's father, Richard became extremely traumatized and lost his sociability to talk to other people, especially after Cheria, his only remaining friend at the time, left town six years ago. Her father may not be related to him, but seeing his dead body definitely gave me a lot of trauma. Asbel does feel sorry for Richard and he could tell that until today, he never fully recovered from the incident. But thankfully, he is able to make Richard talk more today and Asbel believes he may be finally taking some small steps to regain his sociability.<p>

After they finished their game, Asbel thanks Richard for inviting him over. The two said goodbye to each other and Asbel walks his way back to Cheria's house.

By the time Asbel reaches the house, the sun is setting. Pascal, dressed in an apron, opens the doors for him and he steps into the house.

"Cooking dinner now, Pascal?" Asbel asked Pascal.

"Yup! And we're having a big one tonight too!" Pascal grins at him.

"Surprise me." Asbel smirks at her. He then turns his head to the front and cried, "I'm home!" While Pascal rushes back to the kitchen, Asbel stops when he could hear noises coming from the TV. He walks into the living room and finds Cheria and Bailey sitting together watching TV. Bailey had his arm wrapped around Cheria and she sat close to him.

The two turn their heads to Asbel and they smile at him. "Hey Asbel! What have you been doing while we're out?" Bailey asked.

"Ummm, went for a little walk." Asbel replied as he strokes his hair.

"Little, yeah right." Cheri laughed, rolling her eyes. "Then why did we return back to my home before you did?"

Asbel sighed in defeat and droops his arms. "Alright. I was at Richard's home."

"Richard? He invited you into his home?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah. We talk to each other and played a game of Go Fish." Asbel said.

"How is he doing?" Cheria asked.

"Oh he's fine. He was able to talk more than the last time we saw him." Asbel goes over to an armchair and sat down, letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's unusual of him. Richard has always been very shy and doesn't talk to other people. Maybe he invites you into his home because he likes you." Bailey said.

"I guess so." Asbel replied, shrugging his shoulders. He then asked Cheria and Bailey, "So what did you guys do at the park?"

"Oh it was fun!" Cheria smiled at him. "I was able to explain to Bailey about the nightmares I had and thanks to his words of advice, I do feel better now."

"That's great." Asbel said.

"Yes. And after that, Cheria and I had ice cream together. You should try out the ice cream at our town's park sometime, said to be one of the best in New England." Bailey said smiling.

"Heh, yeah. I will when I get the chance." Asbel chuckled.

"Ah well, at least you can eat the fish we catch together today later for dinner." Cheria said.

"What?!" Asbel widens his eyes at them in surprise. "You two went fishing too?"

"Yup." Bailey nods his head. "We went to the park by my car today and all of my fishing equipment is inside. So after Cheria felt better, I took out my fishing rod from my car and we went to the river to catch some fish."

"And boy was the fish we caught together a big one!" Cheria added. "Pascal is cooking it right now so I hope you enjoyed our big catch!" She ended with a giggle.

"Wow." Asbel smiled. "Must have been one hell of a day for you two."

Cheria turns to Bailey and said anxiously, "So Bailey, tell me about what happened next?"

"Oh, you mean my days in college I was telling you back at the park?" Bailey asked. Cheria nods her head in anticipation. "Alright. Well, so after Raymond and I walk out of the dressing room…"

Asbel watched silently as Bailey tells his story to Cheria. He couldn't help but smile, watching how close Bailey and Cheria are together.

**END OF CHAPTER**


	7. Friendship

_**Chapter 7: Friendship**_

The next morning, the alarm placed next to Asbel's bed rang. He moans in annoyance as the alarm woke him up. He extends his hand and presses the alarm. He lets out a yawn as he rose up from his bed. He then scratches the back of his head and pushes the strands of hair away from his eyes.

'_Man, that fish we ate last night sure was delicious. Who knew Bailey was a good catcher?'_ Asbel thought to himself.

He then gets off from his bed, takes some spare clothes from his bag and heads to the bathroom. After a good 5-minute shower, he dries himself with his towel and then changes into his new clothes which consists of a blue t-shirt and black jeans. After he's done, he leaves the bathroom.

He walks down the stairs and heads to the dining room. To his surprise though, Cheria isn't at the dining table. There's just a single plate of sausages and scrambled eggs on the table. Asbel turns his head and sees Pascal walking out of the kitchen while carrying a mop and a bucket of water.

"Pascal?" Asbel said.

Pascal turns to Asbel and grins. "Oh hey Asbel!"

"Where's Cheria?" Asbel asked puzzled.

"Oh. She already went out with Bailey an hour ago." Pascal replied.

"AN HOUR AGO?" Asbel cried in shock.

"Yeah. Cheria and Bailey are going to the beach today for some activities. They wanted to wake you but they felt you were sleeping soundly and do not wish to be disturbed. So they decided to leave on their own." Pascal explained.

"Oh…" Asbel said, sounding a bit disappointed. He would have love to go out to the beach with his friends.

"You alright?" Pascal asked in concern.

"Yeah I'm fine." Asbel nods his head glumly. Pascal then walks off to do the cleaning of the house while Asbel walks over to the table and have his breakfast.

He ate his food silently while disappointingly thinking of being left alone at home by Cheria and Bailey. This is actually the first time Cheria left doing something without informing him beforehand. He and Cheria always discuss things together before they go out and play.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Asbel decides to go to the living room and watch some television. He wishes he could play video games but Cheria doesn't have any video game consoles at her home, which is understandable. Aside playing arcade games, Cheria was never much of a gamer.<p>

Behind him, Pascal was cleaning and wiping the grandfather clock with a wet cloth and a glass cleaning spray in her other hand.

After three minutes, Pascal finished cleaning the clock. She turns to Asbel who is still sitting at the couch silently watching TV without uttering a word. She looks concern at this and decides to talk to him.

She goes over to Asbel from behind. "Hey Asbel, wanna chat?"

Asbel turns to Pascal. "Huh? Oh sure."

Pascal then walks around the couch and sits next to Asbel. Asbel picks up the remote control and turns off the TV. "Meh, the program wasn't interesting anyways." He said.

"Asbel, I see without Cheria, you look…lonely." Pascal said to him.

Asbel sighs sadly. "Yeah. I'm honestly still shocked and disappointed that she would leave me behind and go out to the beach with Bailey, but without me. She and I always do things together. When she wants to have fun, she'll bring me along for the ride. But instead, she went out with Bailey instead of me."

Pascal nods her head. "You like Cheria, don't you?"

"Huh?" Asbel turns to Pascal. "Well, yeah. As a friend. Not like-like." He chuckled nervously.

Pascal rubs her chin and thinks for a moment. Then, a wide grin appears on her face and she snaps her fingers. Asbel widens his eyes at her.

"I know! Since yesterday Bailey surprise Cheria and us with a giant fish, now it's your turn to surprise them!" Pascal said, placing her finger at Asbel's chest.

Asbel perks up and smiles at Pascal. "Great idea Pascal! But what can I do?"

"Hmmm, how about…make something for Cheria and Bailey to eat for lunch when they come back from the beach?" Pascal suggested.

"Sounds great! I can do that! And you can help me out too." Asbel said.

* * *

><p>Asbel places a cookbook on the kitchen counter with Pascal standing behind him. He opens the book and flips through the pages. Eventually, he smiles as he found what he wants to make for Cheria.<p>

"Let's make this!" Asbel said, placing his finger on the picture of the food. "Pie a la Mode! Cheria likes all kinds of pies but I'm pretty sure she never tried this kind before."

Pascal leans down and takes a closer look at the recipe. She turns to Asbel and smiles at him. "Looks easy to me! Let's do it!" Asbel nods his head.

Asbel and Pascal then go around the kitchen, gathering the equipment and ingredients required to make their recipe.

Asbel carries three containers of sugar, ground cinnamon, flour and salt and places them all on the counter. Pascal found some salt and four Granny Smith apples and places them next to the containers.

Asbel reads the cooking book and he instructs Pascal to pour half cups of sugar, cinnamon and flour into the bowl and combine them. Pascal obliged. At the meantime, Asbel uses a rolling pin to roll over a piece of dough, flattening it into a crust for the pie. When he's done, he cuts the apples and places the pieces onto it.

Pascal tells Asbel that she's done with her task and he instructs her to use the rolling pin to roll over another piece of dough to make another pie crust. Pascal obliged and Asbel watches her, making sure she gets the job right. When they're done, Asbel carefully places the second pie crust over the first one filled with the pieces of apples. He then places the pie on a plate and he puts it into the microwave oven. They set the timer to 15 minutes and their job is done for now.

"Alright, now we'll just have to wait." Asbel said.

"Whoo!" Pascal cheered, placing her fists at the sides of her hip. "We sure make one hell of a team eh, Asbel?"

Asbel laughed and said to Pascal, "You're flattering me, Pascal."

Pascal chuckled and then lets out a sigh. "You know Asbel, all that baking and putting things together we did earlier…it was pretty fun. I never did things with somebody else before."

"Hmm?" Asbel said confused. "You never did things with other people before?"

"Yeah." Pascal said, frowning sadly. "I never had any friends because other people think I'm…weird and kinda silly. And my sister is always doing things that…I've never succeeded in doing. I feel like…I'm a failure."

"Come on Pascal, don't be like that." Asbel said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Pascal looks up at him. "Sure you act weird sometimes but you're not silly. Cheria and I don't think you're dumb. If you were dumb, you wouldn't be helpful around the house and you wouldn't help me bake this pie together. And we succeed in doing so, thanks to you Pascal."

Pascal slightly smiles at him. "You're welcome. I'm just glad that I can help."

"And besides, "Asbel smirked. "I like weird."

"Really?!" Pascal yelled. She then happily wraps an arm around Asbel. "Good ta know, buddy!" The two simply laughed.

* * *

><p>When the oven bell rang, Asbel opens the oven and he puts on his oven mitts. He carefully pulls the pie out of the oven and he slowly goes over to the plate where Pascal is waiting with a bucket of ice cream. Pascal then takes a spoon and scoops up some vanilla ice cream and places it on top of the pie.<p>

"There! It's done! I'm sure Cheria will love it!" Asbel said, smiling down at his finished product. He then picks it up and goes over to the refrigerator. He opens up the fridge, places the Pie a la Mode inside and then closes it.

"So Asbel, I'm just wondering. How did you and Cheria became friends in the first place?" Pascal asked, placing her hands behind her back. "The both of you seem very close."

Asbel turns to Pascal and lets out a sigh. "Well, it all started when she first moved into my town and attended my school. I still remember the day I first met her very well. She was a new student in my class and she was kinda shy to introduce herself to us. For a whole week, she always looks very sad and gloomy in class and I wonder why she was always like that. So one day during recess, I go around the school looking for her and I found her sitting alone at the school's soccer field. I go over to her and greeted her. I ask if I can sit next to her but then she gets up and walks away, not wanting to talk to me."

"Wow. That's harsh." Pascal said, now folding her arms.

"Yeah but I didn't care." Asbel shrugs his shoulders. "I kept following her around. I gotta know what was troubling her so as we walk; I just kept asking her questions and talk a little about myself. One day though, I tried to find her in school again but when I found her sitting alone in the mess hall, some boys were antagonizing her because they think she was antisocial. I go over and stop them but they ignored me. So eventually I got fed up and punched them. They attack me back but surprisingly, Cheria helped me by fighting the boys as well with her food tray."

"Whoo! Way a go Cheria!" Pascal pumps her arms into the air. "So um, what happens next?" She asked as she lowers her arms.

"We got sent to the principal's office for fighting and me, Cheria and the boys did got a week of detention. When we walk out of the office, Cheria surprisingly goes up to me and thanked me. And to my surprise, she finally opens up. She and I start talking to each other often and…we remain very close ever since." Asbel said, smiling as he finishes his story.

Pascal claps her hands after hearing his story and she places her hands on her hips. "Although I never know her until she returned here, I still want to say this to you Asbel. Thank you for cheering my young mistress up."

"You're welcome." Asbel replied. "Whenever Cheria is feeling down, I am always there for her. That's why this Pie a la Mode we made for her is important to me. To show her how much I cherish our friendship."

"And I'm sure she'll love it." Pascal nods her head.

* * *

><p>Asbel lies on the couch and takes a nap. He is still waiting for Cheria and Bailey to return from their outdoor activities. Pascal also just finished doing her chores for today after wiping all the windows. After Pascal puts away her bucket of water, she heads into the living room and sees Asbel waking up from his nap. He groggily opens his eyes and sees Pascal standing in front of him.<p>

"Pascal.." He said as he sits up on the couch. "What's the time now?"

"7:35 PM." She said.

"Are Cheria and Bailey back home yet?" Asbel asked. Pascal shook her head, making him frown. What's keeping them so long from coming back home?

Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Pascal turns to the doors. "What do you know? Now they're back!" Asbel widens his eyes and perks up. They both rush to the doors and Pascal opens them, revealing Cheria and Bailey.

"Welcome home guys!" Asbel said waving his hand at them.

"How was your day at the beach?" Pascal asked.

"Oh it was fun!" Cheria replied smiling.

"Yup! Not only did we go to the beach but we also later went shopping and visit the town's amusement park." Bailey said.

"Amusement park?" Asbel said as his smile slowly vanishes. He does feel rather sad hearing that as he would love to go to an amusement park with Cheria.

"Yup! And our lunch and dinner was absolutely delicious!" Cheria added. "We ate pasta in the afternoon and pizzas in the evening!"

"So…you guys are full now?" Asbel asked, sounding sad. If Cheria couldn't take another bite after the dinner she and Bailey had, that means she wouldn't be able to eat the Pie a la Mode he has prepared for her.

"Yes we are. Sorry we didn't inform you that we already had our meals. We were too busy having fun." Cheria said, smiling sheepishly as she scratches the back of her head.

"No." Asbel shook his head, managing a fake smile. "It's fine."

Cheria turns to Bailey and bows her head to him. "Thank you so much for everything today, Uncle Bailey." She said to him.

Bailey smiled at her. "Not a problem. Glad I could cheer you up. I have to go back home now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Cheria said. She then places a kiss of appreciation on Bailey's cheek. Bailey blushes and he turns around and walks back to his car. Cheria waves goodbye at him as she watches him goes into his car and drives off.

Pascal turns to Asbel and sees him frowning and lowering his head sadly. He lets out a sigh, quietly turns around and walks to the stairs. Pascal watches him in concern.

Cheria turns around and sees Asbel making his way up to the upper floor. She looks puzzled and turns to Pascal. "Pascal, is Asbel alright?"

"Yeah…" Pascal said, turning to Cheria with a worried frown. "I'm…sure he is."

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Sovereign: Just a quick note. If you want to make your own Pie a la Mode, don't follow the steps I wrote in this chapter. It's not 100 percent accurate. XD**


	8. A Friendship Pact

_**Chapter 8: A Friendship Pact**_

"Asbel? Asbel, can you hear me?" Cheria asked as she knocks on the door to Asbel's room. She sighs when things are still quiet.

'_No response'_ Cheria lowers her head and places her hands behind her back. She hopes Asbel is alright. And at the same time, she does feel guilty. She realized she and Asbel hasn't done anything together for two days now and she blames herself for being so preoccupied with Bailey today and went to an amusement park without informing Asbel or Pascal. She frowns in worry. Maybe Asbel is upset for not being able to do any activities with her today. She likes Bailey and enjoys being with him but she felt so ashamed, being so preoccupied with him that she has forgotten about Asbel.

She looks up back at the door and said apologetically, "Asbel…I'm sorry…"

She then turns away and walks back to her own room in guilt and shame.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cheria heads to Asbel's room after taking her shower and changing into her clothes. She knocks on the door, hoping that this time; her friend can give her a response.<p>

"Asbel?" She called.

There is still no response. Cheria sighed sadly and lowers her head. But suddenly, much to her surprise, she heard a voice.

"Cheria…" A pathetic whimper said.

Cheria gasped and widens her eyes. "Asbel?"

"Come in…"

She then opens the door and walks into Asbel's room. She sees Asbel lying on his bed with his eyes staring at the ceiling. Cheria walks over to him.

"Asbel, are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah…" He said. Cheria narrows her eyes. As she walks closer, she gets a closer look at Asbel's face. To her shock, his face looks red. She places her hand on Asbel's forehead and feels some heat.

"Asbel! You're burning!" She cried in horror.

"Cheria…I…" This is all Asbel manages to utter before closing his eyes and passes out.

* * *

><p>Asbel groggily opens his eyes. His vision was blurry at first and he notices four spheres above him. He also could feel coldness on his forehead. It took a while for him to regain his vision and eventually, he is able to make out that they were Cheria, Bailey, Pascal and Malik.<p>

"Heya buddy. You alright?" Pascal asked.

"Asbel, can you speak?" Cheria added.

"Yeah…I'm alright…I guess." Asbel replied.

"Well, not really." Malik corrects him. "You do have a fever right now but don't worry. It's not too serious so it should go away by tomorrow as long as you get lots of rest for today." Malik said.

Asbel reaches out his hand and places it onto his forehead, realizing that he has a wet cloth placed on it. "I see." He said to Malik.

"You're lucky Malik is a doctor by profession. When someone gets sick or passes out, he knows what to do." Bailey said.

"Asbel, I…I owe you an apology." Cheria said with her voice filled with regret and remorse. "You're probably upset that you didn't get to visit the amusement park yesterday and me and Bailey were so preoccupied that we kind of forgot about you."

"I apologize on my behalf too. Cheria and I should have called." Bailey said apologetically.

"It's alright…" Asbel replied. "I forgive you two. And actually, I should apologize to Bailey too."

"Huh? Why?" Bailey asked looking puzzled.

"I was kinda jealous of you. That's why I was a little frustrated and walk back to my room, not having dinner and spending the rest of the night inside." Asbel said, now looking a little ashamed. He turns to Cheria. "And I'm sorry to you too, Cheria, for ignoring you last night."

Bailey smiled and pats Asbel on his shoulder. "It's alright Asbel. At least I'm glad you told me the honest truth. And don't worry, I'm not angry with you. I never will be."

Cheria smiles as well and added, "Asbel, there's no need to be frustrated. Just remember, even though we can't be together all the time, we are always friends. Bailey is your friend too and we three will always accept each other."

A smirk appears on Asbel and he nods his head. "Thank you, Cheria. Thank you, Bailey."

Cheria then places her hand on top of Asbel's hand. Bailey then places his hand on top of Cheria's and the three made a friendship pact with each other.

"Awww, such a happy ending for the three of them. Ain't that wonderful?" Pascal asked, smiling blissfully at the scene. Malik turns to Pascal and pats her head, making her giggle.

"Yup, sure is." Malik said to her.

* * *

><p>Asbel then spends the rest of the day inside the house. He remained in bed throughout most of the day. During lunchtime, Pascal and Cheria personally deliver his meal to his room. Pascal gently places the tray in front of Asbel and on his bed. Asbel sees that his lunch consists of a plate of rice omelette with ketchup on top and a cup of water.<p>

Cheria picks up the fork and spook and helps feed Asbel. Asbel smiled, feeling extremely grateful that he has two helpful and reliable friends.

After finishing his lunch, Pascal removes the tray from his bed and she and Cheria leave the room and head back downstairs. When night falls, Asbel decides to get out from his bed and leaves the room. He walks downstairs and heads to the living room. He finds Cheria sitting on the couch, reading a book.

Cheria could hear footsteps and turns her head and sees Asbel walking over to her.

"Hey Asbel. Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"Sort of. I still feel hot but feeling better than this morning." Asbel replied. He sits next to Cheria. "Thank you for helping me, Cheria."

Cheria blushes crimson and nods her head. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, Cheria could feel her handphone vibrating in her pocket. Cheria looks down at her skirt and she takes out her phone. She looks at her handphone and sees that the call is coming from Hubert.

"Asbel, it's Hubert." She said.

"What could he possibly want to tell you?" Asbel said, arching an eyebrow.

Cheria shrugs and answers her phone. She places her phone next to her ear. "Hello?"

"Cheria! This is bad!" Hubert cried.

Cheria widens her eyes. "Hubert? What's going on?"

"Listen Cheria, your grandfather's health took a turn for the worse last night! He just got out of the emergency room and being transferred to a hospice! We'll call you again tomorrow to keep you informed of what is going on! I have to go now!"

"Hubert! Wait-" Cheria cut off at the sound of a beep, signaling that the other phone has been hung up.

"Cheria? What happened?" Asbel asked in concern. Cheria drops her phone as she begins to breathe heavily with her eyes wide and shaking. She stumbled back, collapsing on the couch as she hyperventilates.

"Cheria? Cheria!" Asbel gets up from the couch and stood in front of her. He places his hands on her shoulders. "What is going on?!"

Cheria slowly looks up at Asbel, her eyes still wide and her breathing is still fast and erratic. "Asbel…my grandfather…is getting worse…and he's been transferred…to a hospice."

Asbel widens his eyes in shock. "What?"

"Asbel…what is…a hospice?" Cheria asked.

Asbel hesitated and remained silent for a moment. He tries to keep his voice as calm and gentle as possible as he explains to Cheria. "Well…a hospice is a place where people who are really sick go…it's where people go…when it looks like they're not going to get better…"

"What…you mean…my grandfather is going to die?!" Cheria screamed in horror, now shaking furiously.

"No! Not necessarily! Your grandfather may still have a chance to continue living!" Asbel cried, assuring Cheria that it's not the end for her grandfather yet.

"No…NO! My grandfather can't die! I DON'T WANT HIM TO DIE!" Cheria screamed as hot tears are freely flowing down her cheeks.

"Cheria please! Calm down!" Asbel said, trying to snap it out of her but to no avail. Suddenly, without thinking, Asbel wraps his arms around Cheria and embraces her. Cheria froze, stunned by his action.

"Asbel?" Cheria asked as she finally stops shaking and catches her breath.

"It's going to be fine Cheria…" Asbel whispered into her ear as he hugged her. "I'm here for you."

Cheria froze for a few seconds before she couldn't control her emotions any longer. She lets out a wail of despair as she hugs back Asbel. She sobbed onto Asbel's shoulder and her tears splashed onto his shirt.

"Ssshhh…" Asbel said soothingly. "I promise Cheria. Everything is going to be okay…"

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. Bailey was standing outside, watching Asbel and Cheria through the window as they embraced. His eyes narrowed and his fists clutched tightly.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER**


	9. A Different Man

_**Chapter 9: A Different Man**_

Asbel and Cheria ate their breakfast quietly. None of them look or speak to each other. Asbel knows that Cheria is still shocked over the news of her grandfather so it's best if he stay silent for now. Even Pascal chose not to talk to either of them and just silently do her chores in the living room as they ate.

After both of them finish eating their breakfast, Cheria simply stood up from her seat and leaves the dining area. Asbel grabs his and Cheria's plates and bring them to the kitchen.

As she walks her way to her room, Cheria felt both afraid and worried right now. If her grandfather were to die, she may have to stay here and never return back to Asbel's hometown since she has no one there to take care of her anymore. And other than Pascal, Cheria will probably be all alone at home every day since her mother still hasn't return from work since her return to this town. When summer break ends, Asbel would have to return back to his own town and she can no longer be with him, Hubert and Sophie anymore. The only people who she can see in this town are Pascal, Bailey and Malik but of course the latter two won't visit her every day despite the fact that Bailey is the closest person to her after her father's death.

Cheria sighed in frustration as she walks up the stairs. When she reaches the top, she walks through the hallway and eventually finds herself standing in front of the door to her room. She opens the door and heads inside. She then sits on her bed and takes out her phone. She looks at the photo gallery and finds a photo of her standing with Asbel, Hubert and Sophie in their school back at Asbel's hometown. The photo was taken after the final day of school before their summer break. Some fresh tears form in her eyes. This may be the last time they would ever be together. Cheria didn't want to face the horrible reality but sadly, she knows her fate would be decided sooner or later.

"Cheria?"

Cheria looks up and sees Asbel peeking through the slightly opened door.

"Come in." She said to him. Asbel enters her room. He walks up to her and stuffs his hands into his pocket.

"Hey Cheria. I was wondering…would you like to come with me to Richard's house today? I gave him a call earlier, asking him if you and I can come over to his place and he accepted." Asbel said to her.

"Well…I don't know…" Cheria said frowning.

Asbel smiled and he places his hands on Cheria's shoulders. "Come on Cheria, I know you are still in shock over last night but I don't want to see that frown on your face. Whatever happens, I'll be there for you. I promise."

"Really?" Cheria asked.

"Of course." Asbel nods his head. "For now, I want you to be happy. So please smile for me."

Cheria finally manages a small smile and she sniffed. "Much better." Asbel said, smiling back at her.

"Thank you, Asbel." She replied.

"No problem. And besides, I'm sure you and Richard haven't talk to each other for a long time."

* * *

><p>Asbel and Cheria arrived at Richard's house. Asbel presses the doorbell and a minute later, Richard opens the door and smiles at them.<p>

"Hello Richard!" Cheria greeted as she and Asbel wave their hands at him.

"Hi Asbel. Hi Cheria. Come on in." Richard said.

The two walk into his home and Richard gestures them to sit on the couch in front of the TV. As Asbel and Cheria sits down on the couch, Richard goes over to the drawer under the TV and takes out two PS Vitas. Asbel widens his eyes in excitement at the two handheld devices.

"You got video games? Awesome!" He said. "What games do you have, Richard?!"

"Street Fighter X Tekken."

"Sweet!" Asbel said as Richard passes him one of them.

"He hasn't played any video games for two weeks now." Cheria said to Richard laughing.

Richard laughed as well and he sits next to Asbel. Cheria watches the two have a match with each other. Asbel and Richard glue their eyes at the screens and mash the buttons. Surprisingly in the end, Richard won the match. Asbel lets out a groan while Cheria claps her hands, congratulating Richard.

"Well done Richard!" Cheria smiled.

"Thanks." Richard said, turning to her.

"So Richard, how have you been?" Cheria asked Richard.

Richard places down his PS Vita and said to her, "I've been fine, Cheria. Although I do feel lonely after you left town six years ago. I couldn't make any other friends after you left."

"I'm sorry about that." Cheria said, now feeling some guilt inside her. She does feel guilty for abandoning Richard after she left town to move into her grandfather's home.

"It's okay. I'm glad…to you see again." Richard said to her. "And thanks to your friend Asbel, I don't really feel too lonely anymore."

Cheria smiles at Asbel. "Thank you Asbel for helping him."

"No problem." Asbel said to her. Then, he and Cheria notie some tears in Richard's eyes.

"Richard? Are you crying?" Asbel asked in concern.

Richard chuckled as he wipes off the tears. "Tears of joy." He replied. "I never had a friend gathering like this since…forever. Say besides playing video games, would you guys like to take a look at my room?"

Asbel and Cheria nod their heads. "Sure!" They both said.

Richard then escorts Asbel and Cheria out of the living area and to a hallway where there are two doors at each side and one single door at the end of it. Richard opens the second door on the right and he, Asbel and Cheria step inside. Asbel and Cheria widen their eyes as they step inside Richard's room.

Not only does the room has the usual bed, desk and wardrobe but on the wall are some paintings. One painting is a view of the bridge in the town's park, the other is a painting of the sunset at a beach and the third one is a painting of two swans at a lake.

"These paintings look incredible." Asbel commented.

"Thanks. I paint them myself." Richard said to him.

"That's wonderful Richard! I didn't know you are such a talented artist!" Cheria said, clasping her hands together. Richard blushes as he scratches the back of his head.

Cheria turns to Asbel. "Why couldn't you draw as well as him, Asbel?"

Asbel sighed and droops his shoulders. "Cheria, please don't talk about it."

"Why not?" Richard asked.

"Oh nothing Richard. Asbel was never good at the arts-and-crafts department." Cheria said to him.

"Oh."

"Come on Cheria, I may not be good at art but then again, not all geniuses are good in art. Like Steve Jobs." Asbel said, folding his arms.

"Steve Jobs took calligraphy classes." Cheria said.

"Yeah, calligraphy is a form of art." Richard added.

Asbel groaned. "Okay, wrong choice. What about Adolf Hitler?"

"Hitler was a great artist. But sadly he was never accepted by any art schools." Cheria pointed out.

"Okay wrong choice again. What about…...Vincent van Gogh? Oh wait, he was a painter." Asbel said, scratching his head. Cheria and Richard simply laughed.

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Richard." Cheria said, bowing at him as she and Asbel stood at the doorway to Richard's home.<p>

"No problem. I should thank you two as well...for helping me interact with other people again. I don't feel so shy as before anymore. And it's great to talk to you again Cheria." Richard said.

"You're welcome Richard." Cheria smiled at him.

"Remember Richard, Cheria and I will always be your friends. If you ever get lonely, just think about us or write to us." Asbel said to him. Richard nods his head and he closes the door.

Asbel and Cheria then turn around and walk their way down the pavement. They both walk back together to Cheria's home. It was a peaceful walk back home along with Asbel and Cheria chatting with each other, helping to catch up their friendship which has been missing for the past three days.

When they reached home, they enter through the doors and head their way to the dining area, believing that Pascal has finished cooking dinner for them. But instead, they find Bailey sitting at dining table drinking a cup of tea.

"Bailey? What are you doing here?" Cheria asked as she and Asbel enter the dining area.

"Oh." Bailey puts down the cup and turns to them smiling. "I just want to check on how you two are doing."

"Oh I'm fine, Bailey." Cheria replied.

"So am I. My fever has thankfully disappeared." Asbel added.

"Good to know." Bailey said. Pascal then steps out of the kitchen and enters the dining area with a pot of tea in her hand.

"Hi guys!" Pascal greeted when she sees Cheria and Asbel. The two wave back in response.

"This is very nice Earl Grey tea, Pascal." Bailey said, handing her the now empty cup.

"Would you like another cup, Bailey?" Pascal asked, taking the cup.

"No thanks."

"Alrighty." Pascal turns back to Cheria and Asbel. "I'm cooking dinner now by the way. Should be ready in thirty minutes."

"Okay. I'll go take a shower first then." Cheria turns to Asbel. "See you later, Asbel."

"Sure." Asbel said smiling.

Cheria turns to Bailey. "See you later too, Bailey." She waves her hand at him. Bailey smiles and waves back. Cheria turns around and leaves the dining area, heading to the stairs.

"Would you like to take a walk with me, Asbel?" Bailey asked Asbel.

"What?" Asbel said. "But dinner will-"

"Don't worry, it's a short walk around the garden."

"Oh. Okay I guess."

* * *

><p>Asbel and Bailey step out of the house through the backdoor. Upon stepping outside, they enter the garden located at the back of the house. The garden is full of beautiful flower beds filled with various types of flowers and there are three huge walls of hedge surrounding the whole area. At the middle of it all is a huge pond filled with fishes and a small red bridge over it.<p>

"Isn't this place beautiful?" Bailey asked Asbel as they slowly walk through the garden.

"Yes, it certainly is." Asbel replied.

"Just like Cheria." Bailey uttered.

"What?" Asbel turns to Bailey, looking puzzled.

Bailey turns to Asbel and smiled at him. "You know Asbel, you really do remind me of Cheria's father."

"Really?" Asbel widens his eyes. Bailey nods his head.

"You see Asbel, Cheria's father was a very kind and gentle person. He loves his wife and Cheria very much. But the complicated thing is…I love Cheria too. Ever since the day he introduced her to me, she is the most beautiful person I've ever met. She was a jewel in my eyes." Asbel arches an eyebrow. He is unsure of what is Bailey talking about right now.

"I first met Cheria when she was only eleven years old. During the summer, while she now doesn't have to go to school for the next few months, her parents though…they are still very busy with their work. So they would drop Cheria over at my place where I can spend time taking care and playing with her." Bailey explained. "Spending time with her for the next few months was the most enjoyable moment of my life. But sadly, after summer has ended, Cheria returns to school and I could no longer see and play with her daily anymore."

"Bailey, I…I don't know where this is going…" Asbel asked nervously. Bailey stops, turns to Asbel and places his finger in front of his lips, hushing him. Asbel gulped.

"Listen to me, Asbel." He said. The two then continue walking over to the bridge over the pond.

"Cheria is extremely close to her father. I know this because whenever her father shows up at my house after work to pick her up, she would immediately run up to him and give him a big hug." Bailey continued.

"I see." Asbel said. As he said that, the two are now stepping onto the bridge and the two stop at the middle. Asbel watches as Bailey looks down at the pond with his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Tragically one day, her father died from a heart attack." Bailey said.

"What?" Asbel said in horror. Cheria did told him her father died but she never told him how.

"Yes." Bailey nods his head. "It happened one year later on her twelfth birthday party. It was at the park. Cheria and Richard were playing hide-and-seek until they both come across her father's dead body, lying next to the river. The doctors later confirm that he died from a heart attack. His death changed Cheria and her mother. Both of them became emotionally depressed and it was very rare to see Cheria smile ever since. Fortunately though, I was there to comfort her. She and I became even closer than ever before after her father's death because I am the only person she can count on. Sadly one day, her mother…"

Bailey narrows his eyes angrily and curls his hands into fists. "Her damn bloody mother…sent her out of this town to live with her grandfather…"

"Grandfather? Oh yes!" Asbel said, suddenly remembering. "Speaking of her grandfather, he is-"

"I know what happened. I overheard it." Bailey interrupted.

"Oh."

"And I hope he dies."

Asbel widens his eyes in shock and horror. He is shocked that Bailey would curse Cheria's grandfather. "What?!" He cried. "How could you-"

"Because if he dies, Cheria will have no choice but to stay in this town…stay with me…forever." Bailey then turns to Asbel with a cold glare. Asbel backs away, now looking extremely nervous.

"Bailey?" Asbel uttered.

"Like I said Asbel, you remind me so much of Cheria's father. Because the last time I saw Cheria, she is extremely depressed and heartbroken. But…when she is around you, she became bright and happy again. It was like…she is around her father." Bailey said.

Suddenly, without warning, Bailey grabs Asbel by his collar and lifts him up.

"Bailey?!" Asbel yelled in horror. Bailey didn't spoke and simply tosses Asbel into the pond, creating a big splash and causing the fish inside to swim away in panic.

Asbel comes out of the pond and spits out the water from his mouth. He gasps for air and sees that his clothes and hair are now soaking wet. He then looks up at Bailey with his eyes wide in shock and horror. Bailey stood above him at the bridge, looking down at him with an icy glare.

"I'm only going to say this once to you Asbel. Stay away from Cheria."

**END OF CHAPTER**


	10. Shocking Revelations

_**Chapter 10: Shocking Revelations**_

After making sure Bailey has left the garden, Asbel gets out of the pond, soaking wet. He tries to wipes off the water off from his clothes in vain. He sighs and lifts up the wet strands of hair in front of his face. Then he slowly walks his way back into the house.

As he opens the back doors, he removes his wet shoes and placed them outside of the doorway. He then stood above the carpet placed on the floor and wipes his feet with it. He then closes the doors behind him and walks his way to the dining area to find Cheria sitting at the table with food now placed on the table in front of her. She turns her head and sees Asbel. She looks surprised, seeing her friend standing there shivering and soaking wet.

"Asbel? What happened? Why are you wet?" Cheria asked puzzled.

"Well um…" Asbel paused as he struggles on how to answer Cheria's question. Suddenly, Bailey appears outside the dining area.

"Cheria, Asbel, I'll be going now." Bailey said to the two.

"Okay Mr. Bailey!" Cheria replied as she waves goodbye to him.

"And tell Pascal that I enjoyed the tea." Bailey smiled. Then he looks at Asbel and arches and eyebrow. "Asbel, why are you wet?"

Asbel narrows his eyes at Bailey as he remained silent. He would snap back at Bailey if he had the chance but he decides to remain calm for now.

He lets out a sigh. "Well, I was visiting the garden while I wait for dinner but I accidentally trip over something and fell into the pond. Silly me." He makes a fake smile.

Cheria chuckled and shakes her head. "Oh Asbel, I didn't know you were such a klutz."

Asbel turns to Cheria and scratches his head in embarrassment.

"I see." Bailey said. "Well, I gotta go now. Bye!"

"Bye!" Cheria said as she and Asbel turns back to him. Right as Bailey turns around, he flashes a small smirk at Asbel before walking his way to the door. Asbel narrows his eyes angrily again.

"Asbel, how about you dry yourself up first before you eat? I don't want the dining chairs to get wet. And don't worry, I'll wait for you." Cheria said to him. Asbel turns to her.

"Yeah. Sure." Asbel replied, nodding his head. He then turns around, leaves the dining area and heads his way to the bathroom upstairs.

Asbel cursed himself. How he wish he could just tell Cheria the dark truth about Bailey right now. He wishes he could just tell her right away how much Bailey is a mad man who cursed her grandfather and wants her all for himself. But he can't.

He knows that words are just words. They're not solid when he doesn't have any solid evidence. Besides, Cheria is too close to Bailey. She will never believe that Bailey is a creepy sociopath and that he curses her grandfather, dreaming he would die. Even Malik and Pascal won't believe him as they have strong ties with Bailey too. But Asbel won't give up. Eventually, he will find a way to expose Bailey and reveal to them how insane he really is.

Come to think of it, Bailey was right. If Cheria's grandfather were to die, she has no choice but to stay in this town while he has to return back to his own hometown by himself. But then she will be all alone with that mad man and her mother certainly isn't going to be at home all the time to see her. Asbel stops for a moment and slams his fist against a wall. He won't let his best friend get manipulated by Bailey. He will do whatever it takes to expose him and protect Cheria.

'_I'm not just her friend…'_ He thought to himself._ 'I'm her guardian…'_

* * *

><p>The next morning, Asbel woke up to a bright sunshine and the birds chirping, but the bright atmosphere did little to make him feel better. Asbel gets off the bed and takes a new set of clothes from his bag. He then steps out of his room and looks up. Then, he froze and widens his eyes in horror.<p>

He finds Bailey standing next to the door of the bathroom.

"Hello Asbel." Bailey greeted with a friendly smile.

Asbel glared at Bailey. "Hi." He responded. How he wish he could wipe that stupid smile off his face right now.

Suddenly, the door to Cheria's room opens and the girl steps outside.

"Hi Asbel." She greeted her friend. Asbel responds by waving his hand back at her.

Cheria turns her head and looks surprised to see Bailey standing next to the door of the bathroom. "Bailey! I didn't know you're here! What are you doing here?"

"Oh I'm here to ask you if you would like to go to the grocery store with me today?" Bailey asked.

Cheria shook her head. "Sorry Bailey. I'm not in a very social mood today."

"I understand." Bailey said, walking to Cheria. "Listen," He places his hands on her shoulders. "I heard what happen to your grandfather."

Cheria looks up at him. "You do?" She asked.

"Yes." Bailey nodded. "Asbel told me about it. I'm so sorry for what is happening to him right now."

Cheria turns her head away sadly. "It's like…my father all over again."

"I know. But just remember, if you ever need any help, just come find me because I'm always here to help you." Bailey uttered to her.

Cheria turns back to Bailey. "Thank you." She and Bailey then embrace. Asbel narrows his eyes in disgust.

The two then break away from the hug. "I think I'll go downstairs, see if Pascal needs any help at the kitchen."

"Can I come too?" Asbel asked. "I think I'll take a shower later."

Cheria turns to Asbel and shakes her head. "It's okay. I'm sure Pascal only needs one helper. See you later!" Asbel waves his hand at her as he and Bailey watch Cheria head to the stairs and makes her way down.

Asbel turns to Bailey and glares at him icily. "I won't let you harm Cheria. You're insane."

Bailey turns to Asbel and grins maliciously at him. "Sorry Asbel, that Cheria will be mine. It's inevitable."

"I will find a way to expose you, Bailey. Besides, Cheria isn't dumb. She will find out the truth about you eventually." Asbel said.

"Asbel, Asbel, Asbel…" Bailey shakes his head as he slowly walks up to him. Asbel backs away until he's pressed against the door of his room. Suddenly, Bailey slams his fist against the door, barely missing Asbel's face. Asbel jumps and widens his eyes in terror. "You are such a naughty boy, disobeying your senior by interacting with Cheria even after he told you to stay away from her. You need to be taught a lesson. Then, he grabs Asbel by his collar.

"Let me go!" Asbel cried as he grabs Bailey's hand, trying to break free from his grip. But Bailey is too strong as he pulls him to the bathroom. He opens the door and tosses Asbel to the bathroom floor. Bailey then turns on the tap, filling the sink with water. Asbel tries to get up but Bailey quickly grabs his hair, pulling him up. Asbel lets out a squeal of pain.

Asbel then looks at himself in the mirror, gasping and widening his eyes in horror as Bailey stood behind him, holding onto his hair and wearing a wide grin on his face.

"Lessons without pain are soon forgotten, Asbel." Bailey said as he turns off the tap. Suddenly, he shoved Asbel's head into the sink filled with water. Asbel tried to scream but he couldn't. He tried to pull himself out of the water but Bailey held him down, keeping his head below the water. Asbel trashed around in terror, trying to breathe for air. He panicked as he felt like he's running out of air. His mind felt fuzzy as he felt like he's going to drown. Just when he felt he couldn't last for another second, Bailey lifts his head up from the water. Asbel gasps for air for a few seconds before Bailey tosses him to the bathroom wall.

"That wasn't a fun at all, wasn't it?" Bailey asked mockingly.

After Asbel finally catches his breath, he glares at Bailey and wipes off the water from his face. "Go to hell Bailey." He uttered.

Bailey responds by giving him a swift punch in the gut and Asbel gasped in pain.

"Disobey me again and I'll give you a punishment worse than that." Bailey smirked. He then turns away and leaves the bathroom.

Asbel falls on the floor and tries to fight back the tears in his eyes. It's clear to him now. Bailey is a monster and he has to be stopped. He will never let him get his hands on Cheria or anyone else.

* * *

><p>Asbel, Cheria and Bailey sat together at the dining table, eating their breakfast quietly. Asbel barely touched his food. He couldn't believe that Bailey is sitting with him and Cheria right now and he refuses to eye at him.<p>

Pascal then steps out of the kitchen and breaks the silence. "Hey guys, um…has any of you seen any misplaced chilies?" She asked everyone present at the dining area.

"Why do you asked that?" Cheria asked Pascal, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, while I was cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, I noticed that some chilies are missing. There used to be a lot but now today, it's reduced to half of it!" Pascal then gasped and froze. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Bailey asked.

"The slender man came by and stole some away!" Pascal cried, placing her hands at the sides of her head.

"Calm down Pascal. There's no such thing as the slender man. He's not real." Asbel said, gesturing her to calm down.

"Not real huh?!" Pascal cried, widening her eyes at Asbel and placing her fists at the sides of her hip. "What about the photos of him popping out on the Internet huh?"

"Those photos are just conspiracies." Cheria said. "Conspiracists like to play with people all the time. And you definitely fell for them."

Pascal sighs and places her hands behind her head. "Alright, I'll just look for them around the house. But if I still don't find them, I'm confirming it's all slender man's doing!"

Cheria chuckles and shakes her head as Pascal walks out of the dining area and starts her search around the mansion. Asbel wishes he could laugh too but Bailey's presence kills the mood for him.

Asbel, Cheria and Bailey continue eating their breakfast until they're done. Cheria then gets up from her chair and said to Asbel and Bailey, "You know, maybe I'll go to the supermarket. I'm sure Pascal is never going to find those chilies anyway so maybe I'll go there to buy some and help refill them."

"Can I come with you?" Asbel asked.

"It's okay. I can handle myself." Cheria replied.

"How about I take you there?" Bailey asked.

"Nah, the supermarket isn't far from here. Asbel, take care of the house with Pascal when I'm gone." Cheria said. Asbel widens his eyes in horror and his mouth gapes open. He didn't want to be left alone at home with Bailey.

"But Cheria!" Asbel said in panic.

Cheria arches an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?"

"But I…" Asbel struggles to say something. What should he tell him? That he didn't want to left alone at home with Bailey? But Cheria would then ask why and Asbel will have no idea how to answer that, especially since she thinks there's absolutely nothing wrong with Bailey and that it's okay to stay with him.

Asbel sighs and lowers his head in defeat. "Nothing." He said lamely. Bailey smirks at Asbel's reaction.

"Very well. I'll go now. Bye!" Cheria said, waving her hand goodbye.

Cheria then turns around and leaves the dining area. Asbel and Bailey remain at their seats until they heard the sound of Cheria opening the doors. Then, there was a click, indicating that Cheria has left the house.

Asbel then gets up from his chair and quickly leaves the dining area, not wanting to be around with Bailey.

"Where do you think you're going, Asbel?" Bailey asked smiling. Asbel didn't respond and quietly heads to the living room. Bailey narrows his eyes, gets up from his chair and chases after Asbel.

Asbel then enters the living room and stood behind the couch. He narrows his eyes and clenches his fists tightly.

"I know you're behind me, Bailey." He said.

"How right you are." Bailey said. Suddenly, he yanks Asbel's hair from behind, making him grit his teeth in pain. "Let's have a seat."

Bailey then pulls Asbel to the front of the couch and tosses him onto it. Asbel glares at Bailey.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" Asbel yelled.

"Because you broke the rules again. You shouldn't be talking to Cheria at all." Bailey said, sitting down next to Asbel. "For that, you must have another punishment."

"Why are you doing this?" Asbel asked again. "I never thought you are such a complete sociopath! And I can't believe my best friend is even associated with you!"

"Don't you mean _ex_-best friend?" Bailey asked, turning to Asbel with a wide malicious grin.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you should break up with Cheria now. She's never going to return back to your hometown to you. With her grandfather dying, she will finally be mine and you will have no choice but to break all ties with her."

"No. I will never break ties with my best friend." Asbel said with a determined frown. "I will never let her go near to a sociopath like you. And shut the hell up about her grandfather dying. He's not dead yet."

Bailey narrows his eyes and his grin vanished. "You really are a stubborn kid." Suddenly, Bailey jumps onto Asbel and pins him down on the couch by his wrists. Asbel struggles to break free but Bailey firmly holds onto his wrists and keeping him pinned down. "I admire your feistiness, but I will break you. Just like how I did to Richard."

Asbel gasps and widens his eyes in horror. "What did you do to Richard?"

"I did the same thing I'm going to do to you. It's hard for me to love Cheria when she has other people associating with her so I emotionally break her friend Richard into submission. Why doesn't Richard talk much to other people anymore? That was my doing. I tormented him into submission so that he can no longer talk to others anymore, including my beloved Cheria." Bailey explained.

Asbel grits his teeth and narrows his eyes angrily at Bailey. "I will make you pay for what you done to Richard, you bastard!"

Bailey laughed. "How naïve of you, Asbel. You will never at all." Suddenly, Bailey releases his right hand and stuffs it into his pocket. Asbel watches him taking out some chilies from his pocket.

"That idiot Pascal has no idea that I took them at all." Bailey smirked. "Isn't taking advantage of people's stupidity fun, Asbel?"

Bailey then attempts to open Asbel's mouth. Asbel quickly tries to fight back by using his free right arm to grab Bailey's arm, pushing him back and preventing him from trying to open his mouth. But Bailey proves that he's too strong for him as he slowly pushes Asbel's arm back and manages to grab his upper jaw. Again, Asbel tries to fight back, resisting Bailey from pulling his upper jaw to create an opening of his mouth. But Bailey eventually manages to open Asbel's mouth wide enough and quickly stuffs the chilies into it. Asbel cries in pain as his tongue felt the painful and burning sensation of the raw chilies. Bailey then places his hand below his lower jaw and repeatedly opens and closes Asbel's mouth, making him chew the chilies.

"CHEW! CHEW!" Bailey yelled, widening his eyes and grinning in delight. Asbel closes his eyes and tries to fight back his tears welling in his eyes as he painfully chews the chilies in his mouth. Bailey finally releases Asbel by throwing him off the couch and onto the floor with a thud.

Asbel spits out the chilies out of his mouth and lies on the floor in pain. Bailey stood above him and smiles down at his opponent.

"That wasn't so bad, wasn't it?" Bailey asked mockingly. He lets out a cruel laugh and kneels down to Asbel's level. "Next time it will be acid in your mouth." He then gives Asbel a pat on his head before leaving the living room. Asbel could hear him heading towards the doors and leaving the house.

He then quickly gets up and heads to the kitchen. He quickly heads to the sink, turns the tap on, grabs a glass cup placed next to it and fills it up with water. Asbel turns off the tap and drinks huge gulps of water, trying to soothe the burning pain in his mouth. Asbel slams the cup on the counter and breathes heavily. His mouth is still in pain so it will take more than a few cups of water to soothe it.

How is Asbel going to convince Cheria and the others? They have all fallen for Bailey's act and there's no way they are ever going to believe anything Asbel says to them. They would just assume that he's betraying his friendship pact with Cheria and Bailey by making lies about him out of envy. It would end up making them turn against him and worse, if he can't find anything to convince them, Bailey will continue to do horrible things to him, far worse than stuffing his mouth with red hot chilies. There has to be a way to convince them.

Suddenly, Asbel lifts his head up and widens his eyes. He had an idea! Richard! Richard is the other person Bailey has tormented so maybe he can stand next to him and tell Cheria, Malik and Pascal all the horrible things Bailey has done to him and Asbel! Asbel ignores the pain in his mouth and rushes out of the kitchen.

He needs to go to Richard's place right away.

* * *

><p>Asbel banged hard on the door, his heart pounding in fear. He turns his head around, making sure that Bailey didn't follow him. He nervously turns back to the front and continues banging on the door. Suddenly, the door opens and Richard looks at Asbel in confusion.<p>

"What's the matter Asbel?" Richard asked.

"Richard, we need to talk." Asbel replied anxiously.

"About what?" Richard asked confused. Asbel didn't reply as he gently pushes Richard into the house. Asbel turns around; making sure Bailey isn't behind him one last time. He then closes the door and locks it.

"Asbel, what is going on?" Richard asked again, looking nervous. Asbel turns to Richard.

"Richard, it's about Bailey." He said.

"What about him?"

"He hurt you, didn't he?"

Richard suddenly froze and shivered. He widens his eyes in horror and his heart starts pounding. He shakes his head frantically. "NO! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! HE DIDN'T-"

Richard gets cut off when Asbel firmly places his hands on his shoulders. Richard looks down at him, breathing heavily.

"Richard, there's nothing to hide. Bailey told me everything, how he emotionally broke and tortured you. I want to stop him but you need to tell me what he did to you."

Richard remains silent and stares at his friend for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, he slowly nods his head and gestures Asbel to the couch. The two then go over to the couch and sit down.

"Asbel…Bailey…he did…horrible things to me…" Richard said. He turns away from Asbel, letting him face his back. He removes his shirt and Asbel gasps in horror. Richard's back was covered with several gruesome scars and burns.

"Richard…Bailey did this?" Asbel asked, his voice filled with shock and horror. Richard nods his head as he puts back on his shirt. He turns back to his friend.

"Three years after Cheria left, Bailey would come to my house and slash my back with a knife. He also burns my back with cigarette butts." Richard's eyes are now welling up in tears and his voice starts to croak. "I told my parents…about it…and they called the police…But…But Bailey threatened me! I went along with it because I was scared! Scared for my life! So instead…I told the police…that it was my parents who abused me… and they arrested them instead…they are in prison for three years now…and it's all because of me! IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF ME THAT THEY ARE IN JAIL FOR NOTHING!" Richard then sobs uncontrollably and his tears flood down his cheeks. Asbel frowned and wraps his arms around his friend, comforting him.

"Don't worry Richard. I won't let Bailey hurt anyone else anymore. Not you and me." Asbel whispered into Richard's ear. "We will stop him together. I promise."

**END OF CHAPTER**


	11. Jeopardy

_**Chapter 11: Jeopardy**_

Both Asbel and Richard walk to the front doors of Cheria's mansion. Asbel looks around to make sure they weren't being followed. When they find themselves standing in front of the doors, the two stop for a while.

"Are you sure about this?" Richard asked, turning to Asbel.

Asbel pats Richard on his shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine, Richard." He assured.

The two turn their heads back to the doors and Asbel opens them. The two walk into the foyer and Asbel turns to his friend.

"Alright, go up the stairs and head into the second door on the right. That is my room. I want you to stay in there until Malik and Cheria arrived. I'm sure it won't be long." Asbel said. Richard nods his head and obliged. Asbel watches him quietly walks up the stairs and making his way to his room.

"Hey Asbel!" Pascal greeted as she sees Asbel and enters the foyer.

Asbel turns to Pascal. "Hey Pascal! Is Bailey here?"

"Nope." Pascal shakes her head. "Bailey's at work right now and I've no idea when he'll come here again."

Asbel internally sighed in relief. "Okay." He said to Pascal. Hopefully Bailey doesn't enter into the mansion before or during his gathering with Pascal, Malik and Cheria. Once all three are together in the same building, he can prove to everyone how much of a sociopath Bailey is with Richard as his evidence.

"Alright Pascal. I want you to come with me." Asbel said to her.

"Um, okie dokie." Pascal said. Asbel grabs her hand and guides her to the living room. He then lets her sit down on the couch.

"Alright, now wait here until Cheria and Malik arrive." He said.

"Oh! I get it!" Pascal said grinning and clapping her hands. "Is this some sort of gather-"

"Pascal, this is serious." Asbel said sternly to her.

"Oh, okay." Pascal said. Her grin instantly vanished as she sees the stern and serious frown on Asbel's face. "I'm sorry."

Asbel lets out a sigh. "It's okay."

He then turns around and leaves the living room. As he reenters the foyer, he thought about what would happen next after he reveals to Cheria, Malik and Pascal the horrible things Bailey has done to Richard and him, shall they just call the police? That is the obvious choice but how would they go about it? Just go to the police station and tell Bailey about the horrible things he has done and hope he will be locked up in jail? Asbel wasn't sure where he would be sent to. He may be sent to a normal prison or judging by his insanity, be sent to an insane asylum. But even then, he may not be locked up in jail forever. One day he will be released and it's highly likely he will come for Asbel and have his revenge on him.

Asbel wipes off the sweat from his forehead. He didn't know what Bailey would do next, but for now, he should just concentrate on what's happening at the present. He should just focus on revealing to everyone how much of a sociopath Bailey really is and sent him to the police.

"Asbel?"

Asbel yelped in fear and looks up. In front of him was Cheria, who was carrying a bag of groceries and staring at her friend in confusion.

"Asbel, what happened?" Cheria asked, confused at Asbel's behavior. "I received your call to come back here."

"Oh good, Cheria. You're here. But what took you so long? I thought you just went to buy chilies."

"Yeah but then I realized there are other things my house is running out of too." Cheria replied.

Asbel sighs and places his hand on Cheria's left shoulder. "Never mind Cheria. Just follow me to the living room."

Asbel escorts Cheria to the living room where they see Pascal still sitting at the couch. "Sit next to her." Asbel said to his friend, gesturing her to sit next to Pascal. Cheria obliged. She sits down and places her grocery bag on the small table in front of her and Pascal.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings. "I'll get it!" He said anxiously, turning around and rushing to the door.

Cheria turns to Pascal. "What's going on?" She asked her.

"I dunno." Pascal shrugged. "I'm just doing what he told me to."

Meanwhile, Asbel rushes to the doors and places himself next to it. "Who is it?!" Asbel yelled.

"It's me, Malik!" Malik replied from the other side. "Is that you?"

Asbel sighs in relief. He opens the doors, allowing Malik to come in. "Asbel, what's up?" Malik asked as he watches Asbel closes the door.

"I'll answer your question later Malik. Just go to the living room and join Cheria and Pascal." Asbel said, grabbing Malik's arm.

"Um okay." Malik said puzzled. Asbel escorts Malik to the living room and Cheria and Pascal turn their heads to them.

"Malik too?" Cheria asked. "Okay seriously Asbel, what is going on?"

"Yeah, we demand an answer." Pascal said, folding her arms. Asbel sets Malik down on the couch, sitting next to the two girls. Asbel then backs away and looks at everyone.

"Alright." Asbel said, gesturing them to stay put at the couch. "Guys, I've gathered you all here because Richard has something to say and show to you all."

"Mind if you at least tell us the general idea what this is all about?" Malik asked.

"He will reveal to you all once I bring him down here. In fact, he's in my room right now so I'll go get him. Just stay at the couch." Asbel then turns away from the three and leave the living room. He heads his way up to his room to get Richard.

* * *

><p>Asbel reaches his room and knocks on the door. "Richard, it's me Asbel! You can come out now." Asbel said. He patiently waits for a response but there was no reply. Asbel knocks on the door again. "Richard!"<p>

When there isn't a reply again, Asbel proceeds to open the door. He widens his eyes in shock. His room is completely empty and Richard is nowhere in sight.

"Richard!" He yelled before closing his room door. As he walks down the hallway in panic, he cries out again as he turns his head side to side. "RICHARD!"

"Asbel, what's wrong?" Asbel could hear Cheria calling to him from downstairs. Asbel heads to the stairs and looks down. He sees Cheria, Pascal and Malik standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"We heard ya shoutin'. What is going on?" Pascal asked, placing her hands at the sides of her hip.

"Guys! Richard isn't here!" Asbel cried in both horror and concern.

Suddenly, the sound of a siren could be heard from outside. Asbel gasps. He quickly run down the stairs and passes through Cheria, Pascal and Malik.

"Asbel, what's wrong?" Malik asked as they watch him rush over to the doors. Asbel opens them and quickly leaves the mansion. Cheria runs over to the doors.

"Asbel, where are you going?!" Cheria yelled to him. But Asbel ignored them. He runs out of the gates and stops at the pavement. In front of him was an ambulance and two police cars parked outside the mansion. A policeman is questioning the driver of another car that has a broken windshield. He widens his eyes as he sees two paramedics placing someone onto a stretcher in the middle of the scene. When they lift the stretcher up, Asbel gapes his mouth open in horror. On the stretcher was Richard! He noticed that his eyes are closed and there's blood rolling down the side of his head. Two policemen are placing orange road blocks to block off the area but Asbel runs past them.

"RICHARD!" Asbel yelled, trying to go over to Richard but suddenly two other paramedics rush over to him and stop him.

"Whoa sir. You have to step back!" One of them said to him as they push him back.

"No! Let me go! RICHARD!" Asbel shouted. All he could do however is watch the paramedics bring Richard into the ambulance as he gets pushed back. The paramedics then close the ambulance doors.

"Asbel!" Asbel turns around and sees Cheria, Malik and Pascal running over to them.

"What's going on here?" Malik asked a paramedic.

"Mr. Caesar! A young man accidentally went over to the road and gets hit by a car. He suffers a major head injury as his head hits the windshield. Fortunately the man is still alive and we should still be able to save him." The paramedic explained to him.

"Oh dear, poor Richard…" Pascal said, covering her mouth with her hands in horror. As the paramedic finishes her explanation, the ambulance began to pull away, turning on it's siren and heading to town.

"How?!" Asbel said shaking. "How did this happen?! He was inside my room, I swear!"

"Is there a problem here?" A policeman asked, walking over to Asbel, Cheria, Pascal and Malik.

"Sir! How did this happen?" Cheria asked pleadingly.

"The driver told me everything. He said that the man suddenly went over the road and stops in front of him while he was driving. The man tries to brake his car but it was too late as his car hits Richard and slams onto the car's windshield." The policeman explained to her.

"Sir!" Asbel walks over to the policeman and stood in front of him. "I believe this is no accident! It was…It was…"

"Asbel, please!" Cheria said in worry as she places her hands on Asbel's shoulders. "You got to calm down."

"I CAN'T COOL DOWN!" Asbel yelled, turning around and facing Cheria and the others. He has completely lost his cool at this point. "Richard's dead and it was no accident!"

"Richard isn't dead! The paramedics say they will be fine!" Malik said to Asbel. "And I will attend to Richard's injuries at the hospital later! I will save him, I promise!"

"NO!" Asbel yelled back as tears well up in his eyes. "Richard's dead, he's dead, he's dead!"

"Asbel, stop it!" Cheria shouted back at him. Asbel ignored her and runs straight back to the mansion. He passes through the doors and reenters the foyer. He falls to his knees and slams his fists onto the floor, sobbing.

He knew it was no accident. Bailey has done something to Richard. He cursed himself, knowing that he should keep a closer eye on his friend. And what's going to happen now? Now that Bailey has dealt with Richard, he's coming after him next. It wasn't fair. He promised to Richard that he would keep him safe and won't let Bailey hurt him anymore. But he failed and now his plan to expose Bailey is in jeopardy.

"Asbel…" Cheria said as she, Pascal and Malik enter the house. Cheria goes over to Asbel and kneels down next to him. "Don't worry…Richard is going to be fine."

"No, it's not! And it's not an accident! It was _him_! HE DID IT TO RICHARD!" Asbel screamed.

"Who did to Richard?" Pascal asked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Cheria added.

"It was-"

"Guys?" Cheria, Pascal and Malik turn to the doorway and see Bailey standing there with a puzzled look on his face. "What's going on here? I thought I heard screaming."

Suddenly, Asbel turns around, narrowing his eyes angrily at Bailey. He grits his teeth as he is now quivering with rage.

"**YOU! IT WAS YOU!**" Asbel shouted, instantly getting up and running over to Bailey. Bailey didn't defend himself as Asbel swings his fist and punches him in the face, sending him falling and sliding through the ground. Asbel quickly goes above him, grabs him by his collar and punches Bailey's face a few more times before Cheria and Malik goes over to Asbel. They grab him and pull him away back into the mansion.

Malik and Cheria then toss Asbel onto the floor. Pascal just stood where she is and watched in horror. Her eyes are wide and she covers her mouth with her hands. She is both shock and horrified that Asbel's behavior has completely changed in front of her eyes.

"What is wrong with you, Asbel?!" Malik yelled at him, sounding very angry.

"Why did you attack Bailey?!" Cheria screamed.

"BECAUSE IT WAS HIM!" Asbel yelled, pointing his finger at the doorway as Bailey is still outside of the mansion. "IT WAS HIM WHO INJURED RICHARD!"

"Asbel, that's nonsense!" Cheria snapped. "Why would Bailey ever do such a thing?"

"Because he knew that Richard and I are going to tell you all the truth! He knew that so he planned to silence us!"

"What truth? What are you talking about?" Malik asked.

"THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM!" Asbel screamed. "HE'S A MONSTER! He's a sociopath who tried to drown and kill me and he has also done horrible things to Richard! He did those things to separate me and Richard from Cheria!"

"Asbel, that is ridiculous!" Cheria yelled. She is now completely horrified that her friend who tell lies to her about Bailey. "Bailey is the most kindest person ever and he would never do horrible things!"

"It was all just an act, Cheria!" Asbel snapped back. "Bailey was never a nice person! He only acts friendly to you so that he can manipulate you, Cheria!"

"ENOUGH!" Cheria shouted as she stomps her foot on the floor. Asbel instantly went silent and widens his eyes at Cheria. This is the first time Cheria has ever angrily shouted at him so he is completely shock at her display. He could see tears flooding down her cheeks and her eyes are turning red.

"Enough with your lies, Asbel! How dare you say lies about Bailey! Bailey is kind, innocent and friendly and you betrayed his and my trust!" Cheria cried. "Or wait…I knew it…"

"What?" Asbel uttered.

"You are jealous of him…"

"What? NO! No Cheria! I'm not-"

"YES YOU ARE!" Cheria interrupts Asbel. "You're jealous that Bailey is closer to me and that I hang out with him more than you!"

"No Cheria! I was never jealous of Bailey!" Asbel protested. "He has manipulated you again to make you hate me! He's a demon! I swear!"

Suddenly, there was a whimper. Cheria turns around and sees Bailey staggering into the mansion, clutching the cheek that Asbel punched at in pain. He looks up at everyone present in the foyer with a pained expression on his face. "Why Asbel? Why did you hurt me? I didn't know anything!" Bailey said. Cheria goes over to Bailey and wraps an arm around her.

"I'm so sorry Bailey. It was my fault. I never should have brought Asbel here. I can't believe I'm ever associated with him." She said.

"No Cheria, don't!" Asbel shouted as he gets up from the floor. "This is a trick! Didn't you see that he didn't even dodge my punch? That's because he's acting again! Don't let him garner sympathy from you again!"

"**SHUT UP ASBEL!**" Cheria screamed at Asbel, looking back at him with an icy glare and tearstained eyes. "Asbel…now I see your true colors. You are nothing but a jealous and deranged psychopath. I trusted you Asbel…and you betray it. Consider our friendship over."

Asbel froze and widens his eyes in horror as he heard those words. He began shaking. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He couldn't believe that Cheria is breaking all ties with him.

"Cheria…no! No, you got to listen to me!" Asbel screamed. "Your friendship means everything to me! I said those things because I care for your well-being! Bailey is trying to break our friendship by taking you away from me! Don't let him do this!"

"Why should I trust someone who isn't even my friend?" Cheria said coldly. She said to Bailey, "Let's go Bailey. I'll take you back home."

"Thank you Cheria." Bailey said, sounding hurt.

Asbel watched as the two turn around and leave. His hands curl into fists and he clench them tightly. "NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS!" He shouted. He runs over to Bailey from behind and tackles him to the ground. Asbel turns him around and repeatedly punches his face again. But suddenly, Cheria goes over to Asbel and swings his feet, kicking him right into his right cheek. The kick sends Asbel rolling over the floor.

Malik runs over to Asbel and grabs him again, restraining him from doing any further attacks. He clutches his right cheek in pain as he looks back up at Cheria, who is now glaring coldly at him. Asbel is shocked. Cheria has never hit him before and she never gave him such a cold glare that it freezes him.

"Asbel, I will repeat myself. You are no longer my friend. You are nothing but a monster who attacked Bailey. If you attack him again, I promise I will repay any injuries you give him five-fold."

"Cheria…" He uttered as tears start to well up in his eyes. Cheria ignored him and picks Bailey up again. Bailey manages to flash a quick smirk at him before he and Cheria turn away from him and leave.

Asbel turns to Malik who is also glaring at him. "Asbel, you have gone too far…" He said to him, livid that Asbel has hurt his friend.

Asbel then turns to the doorway and see Pascal standing there with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping open.

"Pascal? Don't you believe me?" He asked.

Pascal lowers her head and tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Asbel…I…I don't!" She sobbed as she turns away and quickly walks back into the mansion.

Asbel then lowers his head and broke down in tears. Bailey has succeeded. Because of him, Asbel has no one left to count on.

**END OF CHAPTER **


	12. Confrontation

_**Chapter 12: Confrontation**_

Thunder clapped in the distance as Asbel walks back and forth inside his room. He nervously thinks of what he's going to do next. His plans to expose the truth behind Bailey have failed and there's no doubt he's now out to get him. Richard has been hospitalized and Cheria, Pascal and Malik distrust him now. He has no one left to count on.

Even worse, now that Cheria has broken ties with him and if her grandfather were to die, she will no doubt remain here in this town and never return to his hometown again. And she will forever stay with and be manipulated by that madman.

Asbel suppressed a sob. Cheria may not consider him her friend anymore, but he still cares and thinks about her. He will not let Bailey hurt her no matter what. Suddenly, he stops and widens his eyes. An idea has hatched inside his head. Why didn't he think of this before? He needs to get on with his newly hatched plan right away!

Asbel turns to the door of his room. He narrows his eyes. Since everyone in the mansion distrusts him now, everybody will be spying on him in suspicion. If he walks out through his room door, someone will spot him and ask him several questions, all related if he's going out to hurt Bailey some more. Asbel sighs and turns to the window. Looks like he will be leaving the mansion the hard way. He goes over to his bag and takes out several clothes from it. After he thinks he has taken out enough shirts and pants, he ties them all together, forming a long rope made out of his own clothing.

He then opens up the window and looks down. He looks like he's about 40 feet above from the ground. He then turns around for a moment and grabs his rope. He then throws the rope down and to his relief, the rope is long enough that it reaches the ground. Asbel then ties the rope around a clothes peg that was mounted next to the window. He gives the rope a few pulls, making sure that the knot is tight enough to hold onto the peg. After making sure it's tight, Asbel climbs out of the window and carefully lowers himself down while holding onto the rope.

He carefully climbs down until his feet safely touch the ground. Asbel then turns around and leaves the mansion, heading his way into town. He will make his way to the hospital first to pay Richard a visit.

* * *

><p>Cheria angrily punches her pillow. She couldn't believe what Asbel has done. She felt utterly betrayed and her heart felt like it has been split in two. Asbel has hurt her friend Bailey and that's utterly unforgivable to her. Bailey has been extremely nice and friendly to him and yet Asbel literally hurt him out of jealousy. Cheria thought he has gotten over his jealousy but today, it's evidently gone even worse. She shouldn't have brought Asbel along with her.<p>

Cheria was not only angry but also upset. She really cares about Asbel a lot but the fact that he hurt someone very close to her is unacceptable and unforgivable. There's absolutely no way she can forgive Asbel for his actions.

Despite the sense of betrayal and hatred towards Asbel though, Cheria couldn't help but feel curious. She wonders what cause Asbel's behavior to change. She knew he was jealous but didn't realize he was jealous enough to hurt Bailey. Perhaps Richard's accident destabilized him, but his outburst was still odd. Cheria didn't want to believe all the ridiculous claims Asbel made towards Bailey. They were highly disturbing and absurd and there's no way she will ever believe Bailey would be an insane psychopath, especially since she knew him very well. And yet…she still felt suspicious. She needs to confirm if these claims are true.

Cheria turns around and looks through the window. The sky is dark grey and she can see lightning flash behind the clouds. It's going to rain soon. She didn't want to leave the house at this condition. But she felt the sooner the better. She needs to get to the bottom of this. She sighed as she gets up from her bed. She needs to know if Asbel's claims are true. And there's only one way to know.

* * *

><p>"Please! You have to let me in! Richard is my friend!" Asbel begged the receptionist.<p>

"I'm sorry. Visiting hours are now closed. No one, not even his friends and family members are allowed to visit him at this time." The receptionist said to Asbel.

"But this is an emergency! I really need to talk to him!" Asbel cried.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do to help you. Now kindly please leave the hospital or I would have to call security." The receptionist said. Asbel groaned. He turns around and leaves the hospital. It looks like Richard won't be able to help him, but that means he would now have to accelerate his plans.

After leaving the hospital, he immediately walks over to the same clothes store that he and Cheria go to during his third day in town. He grits his teeth and clenches his fists tightly. Cheria may not be his friend anymore but he doesn't want his memories of being with her to be destroyed. He still cares and thinks about of her and he won't let Bailey control and manipulated her. He will not allow Cheria to forever be completely dependent to him.

He takes out several pieces of paper and scribbled down notes on them. He finished them quickly, knowing that if he continued, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from completely breaking down into tears. He looked outside and sees that it's starting to rain. He took a deep breath. This is it. It's time for him to confront him.

* * *

><p>Asbel walks into the forest as rain pours down heavily. He didn't care that his hair and clothes are soaking wet. He cares more about his confrontation with Bailey. After walking further into the forest, he stopped.<p>

"COME ON OUT BAILEY! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE!" Asbel shouted.

Sure enough, Asbel hears footsteps behind him. He turns around and sees Bailey coming out from behind a huge tree. Bailey seems to be carrying something behind his back, judging by the strap around his body.

"You are smart boy. I'll give you credit for that." Bailey said, smirking evilly.

"I will stop you Bailey. Mark my words." Asbel said, narrowing his eyes at him.

Bailey cackled evilly. "You will never stop me Asbel. You don't have any friends anymore. You are all alone and powerless now."

"It doesn't matter if I don't have anyone supporting me anymore." Asbel said, slowly walking towards Bailey. "I still have strength. Strength to stop you once and for all." He quickly takes out a pocket knife from his pocket and runs over to Bailey. When he's near him, he flips his knife open and tries to swing it at him, but Bailey quickly grabs his arm and tightens his grip. The tight grip causes Asbel to grit his teeth in pain and he slowly fell to his knees. This allows Bailey to swing his fist and punches Asbel across his face, making him fall to the ground and drop his pocket knife..

Bailey laughed as he kneels down and takes his pocket knife away. "You are both smart and stupid, Asbel. I didn't think it's possible." He grabs Asbel by his hair and pulls him up, making him yell in pain.

"Come, be a good boy and let's have a walk together." After putting the pocket knife into his pocket, Bailey now takes out something from his bag behind his back. He draws out a machete and places it in front of Asbel's neck. It's definitely way larger than Asbel's pocket knife.

"Move." Bailey said to him coldly. Asbel has no other option but to obey. The two slowly walk together through the forest.

"You have been a bad boy, Asbel. I told you many times not to associate with Cheria anymore but you were too stubborn. You decided to go further by beating me up. For that, you must now face the ultimate punishment. Do you know where we are going to by the way? We are going to the same place Cheria's father died. Now you can share the same pitiful fate as him. And in case you are curious to know how I'm going to kill you, I'm going to stab you repeatedly, then force you to strip off your clothes in the rain. Then I can stab you some more and then throw you into the river. Then the river will take you to a waterfall which is high enough to kill you. You will then slam onto the rocks below and have your corpse eaten by hungry scavenging fishes. How do you like that Asbel? Isn't that the perfect death for your ultimate defeat?" Bailey asked, smirking maliciously.

"Heh." Asbel chuckled. "You think that will scare me? Laugh all you want Bailey, but I'm not scared of you and you will never intimidate me."

"Why are you still smiling? Cheria is no longer your friend and once I kill you, she will be mine forever and ever." Bailey said as his smile vanishes and he narrows his eyes angrily at Asbel.

"She will never be controlled by you forever. Cheria is smart. She will never fall for someone like you." Asbel replied.

"You really are cocky and arrogant, boy. Maybe this will teach you a lesson!" Bailey yelled. Suddenly, Bailey removes the machete from Asbel's neck and without warning, he stabs the machete through Asbel's back. It wasn't deep but still hurts. Asbel yelled in pain and as Bailey removes it, he fell to the ground in extreme pain.

Bailey cackled evilly and he licks the blood from his machete.

"You are going to die Asbel." Bailey said with a manic grin on his face. "It will be a slow and painful. And you will die…all alone."

* * *

><p>"If you need anything else, let me know." The nurse said to Richard.<p>

"Thanks, Miss Victoria." Richard said, thanking the nurse who placed a bowl of rice and a plate of crablette in front of him.

The nurse smiled at him before turning around and leave the ward. Richard turns to his food and takes his fork and spoon. But just before he could touch his food, he heard the window next to him opening. Richard turns his head and sees Cheria climbing through the window.

"Cheria?" Richard said, looking very surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Cheria turns to Richard. "Thankfully no one saw me snuck in." She walks over to him. "Now Richard, I want you to calmly tell me…what were you and Asbel trying to tell me earlier today?"

**END OF CHAPTER**


	13. Truth

_**Chapter 13: Truth**_

Bailey continues slowly pushing Asbel through the forest while holding the machete in front of his neck. The back of Asbel's shirt is now completely soaked in blood but he doesn't bother the pain and blood. All he cares is that he hopes his plan would work.

Eventually, Bailey and Asbel arrived at the same area where Cheria's father was found dead. In front of them is the river, which is flowing rapidly and violently due to the heavy rain and strong winds.

Bailey kicks Asbel at his wound, making the younger man yell in pain and falls to the ground.

Bailey grins evilly. "Poor Asbel, all alone and weak. You will die a truly tragic and pathetic death."

Asbel turns around, facing Bailey. Bailey expects a look of sadness or defeat on Asbel's face. But instead, much to his surprise, he gets the opposite reaction. Bailey's grin instantly vanished as Asbel smirks confidently at him.

"Why? Why are you smiling?!" Bailey yelled, frustrated that his victim didn't give him the desired expression. "Have you forgotten everything I've said?!"

"Say what you will about me, Bailey. But you have already lost, even before you found me." Asbel said.

"What do you mean?" Bailey arches an eyebrow.

"Killing me is what will cause you to lose." Asbel replied.

"And how's that?"

"I've planned everything out. I left plenty of clues. I mailed letters to everyone involved, explaining what has happened and what I was planning. That includes Cheria, Malik, Pascal, Cheria's father, and for good measure, the police. I included evidence I found at Richard's house. But that's not what will be the final nail in the coffin. The mechanism for your downfall will be the same person that you've been planning to control. Cheria. She will find out about you. I know you're going to kill me, but it won't be in vain. The time you're taking to kill me is time Cheria can use to figure out the truth, and my death will drive her even further. You're finished Bailey, Cheria will discover the truth and reveal it to everybody."

Bailey narrows his eyes. "It won't work, boy. Cheria is under my control. After I kill you, I'll just simply tell her that you committed suicide and she will accept that in a heartbeat. And she will never shed tears for you since you're no longer her friend anyway. Face it Asbel. She is loyally cling to me and will never let go. Nothing you do will change anything."

"And like I said, Cheria is smart, smarter than you think. I've left her everything she needs to do so. I may die, but in the end, Cheria will discover the truth about you. I believe in her. I know she can do it." Asbel said.

Bailey shook in rage. He yells and grabs Asbel by his collar, lifting him up. He then tosses him to a nearby tree and Asbel slams onto its trunk face first. Asbel tries to recover and back away but Bailey quickly runs over to him and tackles him from behind, pinning him against the tree.

"You honestly believe that?! You think you know Cheria better than me?!" Bailey bellowed.

Asbel swifts his eyes to him calmly. "Yes. And you know why? Because your love for Cheria isn't true love, it's manipulation. She's only clinging onto you because you're just pulling the strings on her. But my relationship with her however, is true love and friendship. I'm not like you Bailey. I don't make Cheria like me by brainwashing her. I instead show her care and understanding. And that's why I'm Cheria's true friend, not you!"

"Shut up!" Bailey yelled and he kicked Asbel's back wound several times, making him yell with every kick. After Bailey kick him a few more times, Asbel fell to his knees in extreme pain. He felt dizzy. "Cheria will forever be mine because YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE HER AGAIN!"

Bailey grabs Asbel's hair and tosses him, sending him sprawling through the ground. Bailey quickly goes over to him and uses his machete to stab through Asbel's right hand. Asbel lets out a blood curling scream as Bailey pins him down firmly on the ground by grabbing his left wrist.

"Beg! BEG!" Bailey yelled with his eyes wide. He removes his machete from Asbel's hand and lifts him up from the ground, getting him on a kneeling position. He then swings his machete across his stomach, making him scream in pain again. He swings his machete at Asbel again, this time, across his chest. Asbel screamed again.

His shirt is now shredded by the swings and Bailey tears his shirt open, revealing his chest and stomach, which now has two huge and deep cuts across them.

Asbel starts shivering from the rain as he is now shirtless. Bailey suddenly grabs Asbel's throat and tightens his grip. Asbel suffocates, gasping for pain. "BEG BOY! BEG!" Bailey shouted. Asbel tries to scream and breathes for air, but he couldn't.

Eventually, Bailey lets go of his grip. Asbel didn't have a second to catch his breath before Bailey delivers a powerful punch onto his face, sending him falling to the ground. Asbel's left cheek is bruised and blood is trickling down from his lips.

Asbel breathed heavily. He don't know if he can keep up much longer. But he has to try. He has to continue withstanding the pain until Cheria arrives, hopefully. Bailey continues torturing him without protest. He now stomps onto Asbel's wound on his right hand, making him scream in pain again. Bailey looks down at him with a twisted smile.

"You have a very nice face, Asbel. Let me damage it for you." Bailey said. He walks slowly to Asbel and lifts his foot above his face. Asbel closes his eyes, preparing for the worse.

"STOP!"

Asbel snaps his eyes open as he heard the familiar voice. He looks up and widens his eyes. To both his surprise and relief, it was Cheria. Bailey turns his face and sees Cheria standing in the distance, with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping open in shock and horror.

"Cheria…" Bailey places his foot down and his twisted smile instantly vanished. "Thank goodness you have arrived!" He said innocently.

Cheria rushes over to Asbel and gently lifts him up. She stares at her friend in horror, seeing the deep cuts on his chest and stomach and his left cheek badly bruised.

"Asbel…" Cheria said, trying to suppress her tears. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you before."

Asbel manages to crack a small smirk. "It's okay, Cheria. I'm glad you've come."

"Cheria, Asbel has gone crazy." Bailey spoke up. Cheria turns to Bailey, glaring at him angrily. "You see, Asbel was so upset about what about earlier today that he started taking drugs and went on a wild frenzy-"

"ENOUGH BAILEY! ENOUGH WITH YOUR HORRIBLE LIES!" Cheria shouted at him. Bailey frowned. This is the very first time that Cheria has ever shouted and expressed anger at him. He tries to continue acting innocent and oblivious.

"Cheria, I have no idea-"

"NO MORE LIES BAILEY! I know the truth! Richard told me everything! He said that you were hiding in Asbel's room because you know Asbel was up to something. When you saw Richard walking alongside him, you waited for him to come into Asbel's room, then brought him out of the mansion through the window and down the ladder and throw him to the road, letting him get hit by a car!" Cheria yelled. "And between what he said, what Asbel said, and the given circumstances, I now fully accept the truth. That you have been hurting Asbel and Richard! You are a monster, Bailey!"

"Cheria…" Bailey said, now looking completely unsure of what to say next and how to defend himself.

"And then…there's one more thing I have to ask you…" Cheria said, her eyes are now growing cold. "Richard told me that six years ago…on my twelfth birthday…he witnessed how my father really died…and I need to know…"

"What?" Bailey said. Cheria stares directly into his eyes.

"Did you kill my father?" She asked. Asbel widens his eyes in shock.

Bailey remained expressionless for a moment, but then a twisted smile appeared on his face and he shrugged.

"So what if I did?"

**END OF CHAPTER**


	14. The Final Outcome

_**Chapter 14: The Final Outcome**_

Cheria froze for a moment and she stared at Bailey dumbfounded.

"So…so it's true…" Cheria said, her voice shaking. "YOU KILLED MY FATHER!"

"So what?" Bailey rolls his eyes. "He was in our way."

"What do you mean by that?!" Cheria screamed as tears flood down her cheeks. "You are my father's friend! HE TRUSTED YOU!"

"Friend?" Bailey snorted. "Ever since I first met you Cheria, you are the only person I truly cared! But your father kept separating us from each other! He doesn't want us to be together!"

"No! That's not true!" Cheria snapped. "My father cared for me and you! Even though we aren't always together, you and I are still friends! I still accept you! I care for you!"

"And you judge me for killing your father?!" Bailey snapped back. "I do get to play and hang out with you but it wasn't enough. I need you completely! Every day after your father is done with his work; he would come to my house and pick you up, leaving me with nothing! I know that the only way that you and I can be more closer is if I eliminate your father. So one day when I paid a visit to Malik at the hospital he worked at, I secretly snuck deeper into the hospital and took a syringe filled with succinylcholine. I injected it into your father and his heart stopped instantly."

"So that was how you killed Cheria's father and made everyone think he died from a heart attack." Asbel said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes." Bailey nods his head. "With him out of the way, I finally have you all for myself. You finally visit and stay with me more often."

"So your love and care for me is all nothing but manipulation and configuration." Cheria said. "You're sick and twisted!"

"No." Bailey said, justifying his actions. "Your father is sick and twisted because he was separating us from each other! And so is your mother! That's why she sent you out of town to keep us apart from each other! Don't you understand Cheria? I love you! And your parents are the monsters who are preventing that love from reaching fruition! AND SO IS HIM!" Bailey points at Asbel. "This boy is now also keeping us apart! And that is why I must eliminate him too."

"If you think killing Asbel will make me love you, then you're mistaken!" Cheria snapped. "I will never love a monster like you! You're just using me and everyone around you as tools!"

Bailey responds by throwing his chest back and letting out a loud, maniacal laughter. But when he leans forward and looks back at Cheria, he was sobbing.

"Cheria…I never use you as a tool! Everything I did was all for you!" Bailey yelled with his eyes wide and his arms spread out. "Everything I did from killing your father and torturing Richard and Asbel, it's to prevent them from taking you away from me! We are meant to be together, Cheria! It's our destiny and there are sick and selfish demons out there who want to prevent it! I'm the one who is doing the right things Cheria. You just need to see it."

"By killing my father and torturing my friends?!" Cheria yelled, standing up from the ground. "All you are doing is alienating me and destroying your morality in the process! You could have just talked to me or my parents. We would have understood because we accept you as our friend!" She berated.

Cheria slowly walks towards Bailey, who lets down his arms but his eyes still remain wide as he stares at her. "Bailey, please. It's not too late for you to regain your sanity. Admit all the things you've done and turn yourself in. I will at least still give you sympathy if you can do the right thing!"

Suddenly, Bailey grabs Cheria's shoulders, making her gasp and widen her eyes. "Turn myself in? As in surrendering myself to the police and they'll lock me up in prison and separate me from you for twenty years?! NO! I won't let that happen because like I said, we are meant to be together. NOTHING CAN KEEP US APART!"

Bailey then slaps Cheria across her right cheek, making her cry out in pain and fall to the ground. Bailey quickly gets on top of her, grabs her wrists and pins her firmly down on the ground.

"Let me go!" Cheria cried as she moves side to side, struggling to break free from Bailey's grip but he's too strong for her.

"I'm so sorry for slapping you, Cheria. But you left me no choice. Clearly you have been too brainwashed by the many people you have make relations with. But don't worry, I have the perfect solution to fix that problem. After I kill Asbel and get rid of his corpse, I'll take you to my home basement and cut off your feet and hands. I'll promise to feed you with food and give you water every day. This treatment will eventually help you regain your love for me. And if Malik and Pascal get suspicious, I'll kill them too. And I'll also get rid of Richard since the car crash didn't kill him so I guess I'll just have to do it personally. Don't worry Cheria, with everyone you know out of the way, things will be back to normal for the both of us. I'm doing these things because I love you Cheria. It is our destiny to be together forever. Nothing can keep us apart ever again."

Bailey then leans his head down and plants a kiss on Cheria's forehead. Cheria shakes frantically, struggling to break free from Bailey's venomous kiss. But Bailey kept her firmly on the ground, never wanting to let go.

Suddenly, there was a loud yell of rage and anger. Bailey looks up just in time to see Asbel running towards and delivering a strong and powerful punch into his face, sending him sprawling through the ground.

Cheria leans her body forward to see Asbel running over to Bailey, getting on top of him and delivers a series of punches to Bailey's face. She stay where she is, looking frightened at the fight between the two men.

Asbel continuously punches Bailey. He is extremely livid that he has hurt Cheria. Bailey is unforgivable and he must be stopped. Eventually, Bailey suddenly grabs Asbel's right wrist and looks up at him with his eyes narrowed in rage. He swings his fist at Asbel, punching him across his left cheek. Asbel falls off of Bailey, who quickly gets up and runs off.

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY!" Asbel yelled as he quickly gets back up and chases after Bailey.

"NO! Asbel! Stop!" Cheria cried as she extends her arm and tries to reach out to him. But Asbel ignored her and runs off, leaving her behind.

* * *

><p>Asbel chases through Bailey through the forest. He is not going to let him escape. If he does, he will definitely return for him and Cheria. He will come back and attempt to kill him and take Cheria away again. He must be stopped, no matter what.<p>

Asbel and Bailey run pass several tall trees until they eventually arrived at a grassy field. They continue running until Bailey stops at the other end of the field. Asbel stops as well and sees that beyond the other end of the field is the river and at the end of it was a waterfall.

Bailey turns around, facing Asbel with a huge manic grin on his face. "This is where you'll die Asbel. You can't stop me! Cheria and I are meant to be together!"

"Shut up Bailey! You kept saying that like you're a broken record. But I'm not going to let that happen! You're a sick monster who killed her father and tortured me and Richard!" Asbel said. "I will not let you hurt anyone else again!"

Bailey narrows his eyes and grits his teeth. "You really got guts, kid. Too bad it's all for nothing!" Asbel and Bailey both yell and run up to each other.

Asbel swings his fist at Bailey. But Bailey quickly ducks down and punches Asbel in the gut. Bailey gets up and delivers a punch across Asbel's right cheek. He swings his fist again, punching across his other cheek. Then, he lifts his leg up and kicks Asbel in the stomach, sending him falling to the ground. Bailey goes over and tries to stomp him but Asbel quickly grabs his foot and gives it a twist. Bailey yells in pain and falls over, allowing Asbel to get up and stand above him.

Asbel grabs Bailey's hair, pulling him up and wrapping his arm around his neck. Asbel tightens his grip around Bailey's neck, trying to strangle him. Bailey grabs Asbel's arm with both hands, trying to break free but Asbel kept his grip.

Eventually, Bailey releases one of his hands and uses his elbow to punch Asbel's stomach. This makes Asbel back away in pain and releasing Bailey. Bailey turns around and swings his fist across Asbel's face again, sending him falling to the ground.

Asbel quickly gets back up but Bailey kicks him in the face, making him fall again.

Bailey goes over to Asbel and grabs his arms, lifting him up from the ground. Suddenly, Asbel leans his head back and slams it against Bailey's forehead, making him yell in pain and back away. He releases Asbel who lands on his feet. He then grabs Bailey's arm and gives it a twist. Bailey yelled again as he falls to his knees.

Asbel then punches Bailey at the back of his head and he slumps onto the ground. Bailey tries to get up but Asbel walks over to him. He lifts his leg up and stomps his head, knocking him out.

When the fight is over, Asbel backs away and groaned. He clutches his head as he still felt the pain when he delivered the headbutt on Bailey's forehead. He looks down at Bailey and sees that he's not moving. For now. He will call the police to come and arrest Bailey. He just hopes that they will lock him up in jail or an asylum for a very long time.

"Asbel!"

Asbel turns his head and from a distance, he sees Cheria running through the field and going towards him. He cracks a smile as he sees her.

"Cheria!" He yelled back.

"Asbel!" Cheria cried happily as she ran towards her friend, ignoring the tears that are rolling down her cheeks. She is just glad that Asbel is alright.

Asbel starts walking his way to Cheria but suddenly, Bailey grabs his foot, stopping him. He trips Asbel over to the ground and gets up.

Cheria gasped as her smile instantly vanished and her expression turned into a look of shock and horror. "NO!" She yelled as she now runs faster.

Bailey grabs Asbel by the back of his neck and lifts him up. Asbel grabs Bailey's hand, trying to break free but he won't let go. Bailey then turns around and walks over to the river. When Bailey stops in at the side, Asbel barely opens his eyes to see the river's strong and rapid currents. Bailey then turns around and sees Cheria running over. She stops when she is near the two and she widens her eyes and gapes her mouth open horrified.

"Take a good look, Cheria! This will be the official beginning of our true destiny! We will finally be together and live the rest of our lives in peace and happiness!" Bailey said grinning. He then releases his grip, dropping Asbel into the river.

"NOOOOO!" Cheria screamed. Bailey laughed but suddenly, he felt something grabbing onto his foot.

Bailey turns around and widens his eyes in shock. Asbel is grabbing onto his foot, not letting go. With all of his strength, Asbel pulls Bailey in and the two are swept away by the river. Bailey yelled in anger as he tries to swim against the current, but it was too fast.

"ASBEL!" Cheria shouted as she starts running alongside the river, trying to catch up with Asbel and Bailey. She has to save them before they reach the waterfall and face certain death.

As Bailey and Asbel are being swept through the river, he manages to swim over to Asbel and pushes his head into the water, trying to drown him. But Asbel quickly jabs his elbow into Bailey's chest. Bailey releases Asbel, who lifts his head above the water, catching his breath.

Asbel then turns and pushes Bailey. Bailey's head gets hit by a rock, instantly bringing extreme pain to his body and draining all of his energy to fight back Asbel.

Cheria kept sprinting alongside the river until she manages to pass Asbel and Bailey. She widens her eyes as she sees a tree next to a river. The tree has a root sticking out. Cheria runs over to the tree and hangs onto it. She carefully places her foot on the root and kneels down. She sees Asbel and Bailey approaching towards her.

She quickly extends out her arms and Asbel and Bailey quickly grab both of her hands. She tries to pull them up but she can't. Both Asbel and Bailey are too heavy for her and the extreme force of the river is continuously trying to sweep them away from her and bringing them towards the waterfall.

She held onto them tightly but she knows that she will never have the strength to pull both of them up and if she still remains there, she would eventually be pulled into the water as well and they will all die together. Cheria closes her eyes tightly, realizing the sad but horrible truth. She would have to release one of them.

Cheria turns to the right and sees Asbel holding onto her right hand tightly. Asbel is nearly unconscious and looks back at her with his soft blue eyes. "Cheria…don't let go…" He said to her. Cheria could tell that Asbel is about to lose all of his energy.

She then turns to the left to see Bailey, holding onto her left hand tightly and staring back at her with pleading eyes.

"Cheria, please! Save me! I may be the only one left who can take care of you! Your grandfather is soon going to die and your mother is never going to come home often and see you! But you still have me! I'm sorry for the horrible things I've done but it's the bad thoughts that made me do it! I promise I'll change and become a better person! I'll promise to take care of you and treat you well! So please, Cheria! Don't let me go! I love you!" Bailey begged pitifully.

Cheria looks back at Asbel is about to close his eyes and she could feel that his grip onto her right hand is loosening. She looks back at Bailey, who is still staring at her pleadingly. Cheria stares at Bailey for a few more seconds before she closes her eyes tightly.

"Cheria?!" Bailey widens his eyes in horror, knowing what she is going to do. "DON'T!"

Cheria ignored Bailey's pleas and lets him go.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bailey screamed as he is washed downstream. He falls off from the top of waterfall and his cries are soon drowned out by the roar of the river.

Before Asbel's grip slips, Cheria quickly grabs onto his hand with her other hand. With all of her strength, she pulls Asbel up and they both collapse onto the bank.

Asbel coughed out as he slowly regains his strength and manages to lifts his head up. He turns his head to see Cheria lying on the ground sobbing.

"Cheria?" Asbel uttered.

Cheria slowly turns her head to him. "Asbel…" She whimpered. Asbel crawls over to her and Cheria wraps her arms around him. Asbel hugs back and the two are locked together into an embrace. Both Asbel and Cheria sobbed, never wanting to let go of each other.

**END OF CHAPTER**


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